2011 Spring Flood

Left to Right: Bill Stiles, Dan Kroes

USGS Hydrologist Dan Kroes shows Congressional staffers the difference in turbidity levels of the water in Bayou Sorrel. As the record flood waters of the 2011 flood inundate the Atchafalaya Basin, they begin to flush out the stagnant swamp water, or "black water." This water is low in dissolved oxygen and nutrients, and makes it difficult for things to live in it. The floodwater, on the other hand, is rich in dissolved oxygen and nutrients, and as it flushes out the old stagnant water, it will rejuvenate more isolated parts of the Atchafalaya Basin.

Location: Bayou Sorrel on the East Side of the Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana