Louisiana Gov to Ask for Federal Emergency Declaration After Contamination of Drinking

Inch by inch, a crisis is developing in southern Louisiana as saltwater from the  Gulf of Mexico is creeping northward into the Mississippi River.

Because the river is a source of drinking water for many communities, including New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is preparing to seek federal help to deal with an emergency that has so far defied efforts to address, according to The Associated Press.

In an average year, the flow of the normal river keeps salt water at bay. However, a lack of rain has reduced the river’s flow, meaning a dense layer of salt water is spreading north from the Gulf of Mexico.

Edwards said the situation could worsen with historic river lows expected in the coming weeks.

? Salt water from the Gulf is moving up the Mississippi River at a rate of about 1.5 miles per day due to low river water levels. Dates below are U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers estimates of when salt water could reach water treatment facilities across the Greater New Orleans area. pic.twitter.com/nNIN8SeyJw

— Brantly Keiek (@BrantlyWx) September 23, 2023

“I can tell you in the next couple of days we will be requesting an emergency declaration from the federal government as well for the purpose of getting more federal agencies involved to the extent that can be helpful,” Edwards said Friday, according to Fox News.

Edwards said an emergency declaration would allow the state  “to take emergency protective measures with some level of reimbursement available from the federal government should that federal emergency declaration be granted.”

A state of emergency declaration was issued on Sept. 5, Fox reported.

Col. Cullen Jones of the Army Corps of Engineers said the real answer to the state’s problems requires 10 inches of rain to douse the Mississippi Valley, giving the river enough water to push back the saltwater intrusion, according to the U.K. Guardian.

#Drought expanded in the Midwest, Lower Mississippi Valley, Southwest and Pacific Northwest on the US #DroughtMonitor this week, while easing in Texas. States along the Gulf Coast remain in the grip of intense #flashdrought. The low #MississippiRiver is hindering navigation. pic.twitter.com/DlfyDkyCGH

— Denise Gutzmer (@DroughtDenise) September 21, 2023

The Guardian noted that the Mississippi River’s mouth is below sea level and that a wedge of saltwater has been moving upriver beneath the level of fresh water.

An underwater barrier was built to hold back the salt water, but it has pushed past that barrier, Jones said.

Jones said that weather forecasts indicate salt water will remain a danger for anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.

Jones said the Corps of Engineers will seek to deliver 15 million gallons of fresh water to the state’s southern parishes. However, taken altogether, communities faced with the threat of having saltwater enter their water intakes by Oct. 24 use 36 million gallons of water per day.

Plaquemines Parish citrus farms worry that the salt water creeping up the Mississippi River will destroy their crops either from the water’s salinity or the chemicals used to treat the contaminated water.

They just experienced one of the worst droughts recorded in LA@FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/14r9ZtrM6K

— Andrés Fuentes (@news_fuentes) September 22, 2023

Plaquemines Parish, in the southeastern part of Louisiana, is already under a drinking water advisory because of the saltwater wedge, with bottled water being given out to residents, according to Fox News.

On Friday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an emergency declaration to prepare for the arrival of the saltwater wedge, according to The Hill.