Efforts to Protect Water Supplies from Saltwater Intrusion in Mississippi and Louisiana

Work has begun to raise a saltwater barrier in the lower Mississippi River in an effort to delay saltwater contamination in the New Orleans area. The earthen sill near Alliance in Plaquemines Parish will be raised about 25 feet, but it will only slow, not halt, the intrusion. The saltwater is expected to reach water intakes in Belle Chasse by mid-October, prompting officials to search for alternative water sources. The Army Corps plans to transport water via barges and is considering building a temporary pipeline. The intrusion is a result of low rainfall and the river dropping to near-record lows, allowing saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to move upstream.