MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DIVISION New Orleans District
Corps of Engineers Builds Underwater Sill in Mississippi River to Slow Saltwater Intrusion During Low Water Conditions Throughout 2023, the Mississippi River Valley has been feeling the effects of the extreme heat and low precipitation, both of which have played a role in the lowwater conditions observed throughout the year. In South Louisiana, the low river conditions have allowed saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to move upriver as far as Plaquemines Parish. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District constructed an underwater sill across the bed of the Mississippi River channel to slow upriver progression of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico during low-water conditions this year. The greatest risk associated with the intrusion of this saltwater wedge is the appearance of unsafe salinity levels at the municipal drinking water intakes for the parish. USACE PHOTO BY RYAN LABADENS
42 I AMERICA’S ENGINEERS
