Saltwater Intrusion in Mississippi River Leads to State of Emergency Declaration in New Orleans
A severe water crisis has developed in the Mississippi River Delta affecting millions of people upstream from New Orleans as well as the ecology of the delta region
A human and ecological crisis is developing at the mouth of the Mississippi River as saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico began surging into the freshwater Mississippi river recently, drought is creating low water levels at key points in the river, and saltwater is contaminating drinking water in New Orleans and upstream areas in Louisiana.
Mississippi River water levels are near historic lows for the second year in a row in the lower region. The roughly 360-mile stretch of the lower Mississippi River between the Ohio River confluence to the north and the Arkansas River confluence to the south has been experiencing record water-level lows at several points, with more lows reportedly to come.
This naturally shallower stretch of the river will not accommodate the usual volume of barge traffic at this point. According to the Associated Press, roughly 60% of the nation’s grain exports travel by barge down the Mississippi River. The low levels make it more expensive either to float fewer, lighter barges or offload cargo to semi trucks. The transport restrictions impact barge companies and agribusiness concerns, who will all face higher prices to transport what remains of the crops after years of scorching drought.
A narrowed shipping lane also means barges from different companies must squeeze into limited space, forcing backups and delays. The cargo rate from St. Louis southward is now up 77% above the three-year average.
But a far more significant crisis is developing further downstream at the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf saltwater is moving upriver because of the severely low water levels. A wedge of saltwater is surging up the Mississippi River into parts of Louisiana where millions of people are affected. Usually, the strength of the river surge in conjunction with an underwater sill functions to keep the saltwater at a distance from the river. But on Monday, September 28, the saltwater overflowed the sill, entering the drinking water supply of Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana.
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