Effects of Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge on the quality of shallow aquifers near the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain, southeastern Louisiana

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled 13 wells on the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain to determine the effect of Hurricane Katrina-induced storm surge water on the shallow groundwater resources. Surge water entering damaged wells did not contaminate the entire aquifer; however, contamination did occur locally at well sites. Because the storm surge from Katrina lasted only a few hours, surge water entering the aquifer will probably have only a short-term effect.