Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water and has been a key factor in ecohydrology. In 2011, the Mississippi River reached flood heights near those of the flood of 1927. The Mississippi River and Tributaries System 2011 Post-flood Report documents the flood event, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers response and the performance of the MR&T systems. Appendix F, Environmental and Cultural Resources contains materials related to water quality:
- Section II is the USGS Water Science Center's report concerning Water Quality in the Lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin during the 2011 Flood, April through July. (Read Sections II and III)
-
Section III is the Water Quality Data Collection and Analyses, and it includes figures and tables referenced in Section II. (Read Sections II and III)
- Section IV is the USGS Water Science Center's report concerning Water-Quality and Phytoplankton Communities in Lake Pontchartrain Before, During and After the Bonnet Carre' Spillway Openings in 2008 and 2011. (Read Section IV)