Potentiometric map of the Meridian-Upper Wilcox Aquifer in Mississippi, fall 1979

The potentiometric map of the Meridian-upper Wilcox aquifer is one of a series of maps, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Land and Water Resources, delineating the potentiometric surfaces of the major aquifers in Mississippi. In the outcrop area of the Meridian-upper Wilcox aquifer the potentiometric surface is strongly affected by recharge from precipitation, by topography, and by drainage of the aquifer by streams. The potentiometric surface slopes downward generally to the west away from the area of outcrop and is strongly affected by large groundwater withdrawals in the Greenwood, Indianola, Marks, Grenada, and Memphis areas. Historically, water levels in or near the outcrop of the Meridian-upper Wilcox have shown little or no long-term changes, but during the past 20 years water levels have declined from 1 to 2 feet per year in much of the confined part of the aquifer. (USGS)