Simulation of Groundwater Flow in the "1,500-Foot" and "2,000-Foot" Sands and Movement of Saltwater in the “2000-Foot” Sand of the Baton Rouge Area, Louisiana Active

Simulation of Groundwater Flow in the "1,500-Foot" and "2,000-Foot" Sands and Movement of Saltwater in the “2000-Foot” Sand of the Baton Rouge Area, Louisiana

Saltwater encroachment has been detected in six aquifers, including the "1,500-foot" and "2,000-foot" sands, north of the Baton Rouge fault in East Baton Rouge Parish. The encroachment is in response to ground-water withdrawals, primarily for public supply and industrial uses, in Baton Rouge. Additional information is needed for water planners and managers in the Baton Rouge area to make decisions on future management of ground-water resources in the area. The impact of the pumping wells on ground-water flow and the northward encroachment of saltwater is not well known. The time and route for saltwater to travel from the fault to pumping centers is not known. Water managers and planners need this information to help them determine possible locations for additional water-supply wells, saltwater scavenger wells, injection wells, or observation wells. A computer model is being created to simulate past, current, and a variety of possible future conditions in the "1,500-foot" and "2,000-foot" sands. The completed model will provide a tool to help water planners and managers evaluate possible management alternatives, and increase the understanding of saltwater movement in aquifers in similar hydrogeologic settings. The work is being conducted with funding from the Capital Area Ground Water Conservation Commission, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, and the U.S. Geological Survey.