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1/17/2024
WT Staff
HAPPENING NOW
NWS Hard Freeze Warning
Power outages, burst pipes and BWAs
Water news for Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - last updated 1208 pm CST
Drinking Water Matters
The City of Winnsboro in Franklin County has been experiencing low water pressure due to taps being left open to avoid freezing. The Winnsboro Water Department confirmed a BWA has been issued this morning. Winnsboro Water System operates under active permit LA1041006, a local government owned facility serving a population of 7518 from a groundwater source.
A water service outage for Butte LaRose in St Martin Parish began at the first sign of freezing on Monday evening, according to KATC-ABC3 reporter Samantha Loren. WTLA.us learned that Butte LaRose is supplied with drinking water by Atchafalaya Acres Water System. According to the federal EPA, this is a privately owned water facility serving a population of 460 residents from a groundwater source, operating under active permit LA1099013.
According to the federal EPA inspection records, Atchafalays Acres has no federal violations in the past 12 inspection quarters with no deficiences or recommendations noted in the most recent sanitary survey, completed by the state on July 9, 2021. One prior federal violation is listed resolved in May 2020, a violation of Treatment Technique - groundwater rule. A report from 2018 says that community residents gathered to protest a high arsenic level in their finished water, however, we were unable to find a maximum contaminant level violation on the record for this facility. According to Louisiana Department of Health, Atchafalaya Acres scored 73% on the 2022 annual assessment, earning a Water Grade C.
As water infrastructure begins to thaw and damage becomes apparent, we will report here. More to follow.
See yellow tags on the map for BWAs
Streamflow Situation from USGS real time streamflow monitoring stations around the eight watersheds of the state
Much below normal flows continue in the west Wednesday with six extreme low flows registering at two stations on the Sabine River and a tributary of Calcasieu River in watershed Region 4, with one station registering an extreme low flow in Region 3 and two more in Region 5.
Drought Map from USGS 7-day average streamflows compared to historic averages
Severe drought is applied to the Sabine River channel in Region 4 this morning, a sudden escalation from a below normal rating yesterday as the 7-day average streamflow fell sharply from the seasonal normal for this area. Region 1 appears much the same as yesterday, with the addition of the Saline Bayou channel reemerging at below normal overnight. Bossier Parish gives up some territory rated below normal, only the west side sticks on the map today. Region 2 Grant and Winn Parishes have stepped up from from below normal to moderate drought overnight, the remaining area of Region 2 and Region 3 are still evading a drought rating.
In Region 4, the Calcasieu River channel remains in moderate drought another day. The remaining area of Region 4 not otherwise rated severe or moderate drought shows up below normal. Region 5 comes through the hard freeze sticking at below normal rating, excluding Acadia and Evangeline Parishes once again, these still show no rating for drought.
Watershed regions 6, 7 and 8 remain clear of the drought map again today.
See the Flood button to the right of the map for more information on streamflows. Red-brown tags on the map refer to extreme low flows.
Note WaterToday reports day-to-day changes recorded by USGS streamflow monitors on rivers and tributaries located in Louisiana, along with monitors upstream in the Mississippi River basin: Ohio, Georgia and southwest New York state. USGS creates a drought map from 7-day average streamflow readings, by comparing the average with the historic weekly normal flow value for each location. The drought ratings are below normal, moderate hydrologic drought, severe drought and extreme drought.
HABs Report from National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) satellite monitoring program
NCCOS image captured Jan 16 is mostly cloud obscured, taken at a high wind speed 24.8 mph. As we cannot see HABs on open water between the clouds on Lake Pontchartrain or any other lakes in this image, we reference the previous satellite picture taken Jan 15. Here we saw no HABs activity detected in Irish Bayou, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Verret, Lake Palourde, Catouache or Salvador. Lake Lery and Black Bay inland water bodies appear with lakewide HABs at a lower concentration than Jan 14, dropping from 500 thousand cells per 100 ml to 200 thousand cells per 100 ml.
USGS Provisional Data Statement
Data are provisional and subject to revision until they have been thoroughly reviewed and received final approval. Current condition data relayed by satellite or other telemetry are automatically screened to not display improbable values until they can be verified.
Provisional data may be inaccurate due to instrument malfunctions or physical changes at the measurement site. Subsequent review based on field inspections and measurements may result in significant revisions to the data.
Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of these data or concerning other hydrologic data may be obtained from the USGS.
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