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The Use of National Datasets to Produce an Average Annual Water Budget for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 2000–13

Fact Sheet 2019-3001
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20193001

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Overview

Water is a critically important resource for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) region, supporting a multibillion-dollar agricultural industry. There are concerns that continued withdrawals of groundwater for irrigation may decrease future water supplies. The U.S. Geological Survey has a history of conducting research in the MAP region and recently began an effort to integrate multiple monitoring analyses and modeling to characterize and project water availability for the region. Here, we utilize the data and results from existing national-scale datasets and refine them to create long-term steady state annual water budgets at a regional scale (the MAP) from 2000 to 2013. The water budget is described and mapped as the distribution of available water into three components: (1) evapotranspiration (65 percent); (2) quickflow runoff to streams (27 percent); and (3) groundwater recharge (8 percent). We also present a comparison of long-term recharge rates with groundwater extraction rates. These results will be useful as a starting point for the water budget and evaluations of future water availability in the MAP.

Suggested Citation

Reitz, M., and Kress, W.H., The use of national datasets to produce an average annual water budget for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 2000–13: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2019–3001, 4 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20193001.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Overview
  • Introduction
  • Water Budget Estimates
  • Water-Use Data
  • Average Water Budgets for 2000–13
  • Recharge to Extraction Rate Comparison
  • Conclusions and Outlook
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title The use of national datasets to produce an average annual water budget for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 2000–13
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 2019-3001
DOI 10.3133/fs20193001
Year Published 2019
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
Description Report: 4 p.; Data Release
Country United States
State Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas
Other Geospatial Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
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