Rapides Parish, LA Water Table Trend
Rapides Parish's groundwater trend, from USGS's own readings
Rapides Parish's long-term well puts the trend at 5.1 ft per decade, declining faster than most declining counties, based on 505 measurements since 1939.
One well stands in for Rapides Parish's whole aquifer here, the honest simplification every page on this site carries.
What the well actually measured
The most recent reading put water 141.4 ft below land surface. Readings span 1939-03-07 to 2017-10-03, 505 measurements from USGS well USGS-311727092270901 (R-18), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Rapides Parish ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Rapides Parish ranks 1305th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 125,899 people live in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Rapides Parish stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Rapides Parish's water table is actually declining, not just a general worry, a well owner here should consider comparing home-warranty plans that cover well-pump failure before one happens.
A dropping table says nothing about water quality
Whether Rapides Parish's water table is rising or falling is independent of what's actually in the water. Depletion can concentrate naturally-occurring minerals, so it's worth checking directly with a water test rather than assuming a depth trend says anything about quality.