Water resources of Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Abstract

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about 13.03 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn in Bienville Parish, including about 12.88 Mgal/d from groundwater sources and 0.15 Mgal/d from surface-water sources. Withdrawals for industrial use accounted for about 78 percent (10.18 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn. Other categories of use included public supply, which accounted for about 18 percent of the total water withdrawn (2.33 Mgal/d); agriculture, composed of general irrigation and livestock, which accounted for about 1 percent (0.18 Mgal/d); and rural domestic (0.33 Mgal/d), which accounted for about 2 percent. Water-use data collected at 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010 and again in 2014 indicated that water withdrawals peaked in 1995 at more than 17 Mgal/d.