How to save New Orleans’s drinking water

What is going on with New Orleans drinking water is a disaster! The saltwater intrusion is a direct result of the destruction of the wetlands along the Mississippi River delta, farming, and overdevelopment.

This was one of the most biodiverse and species-rich habitats in North America. While the news is not talking about this aspect of the problem there is a clear link. Wetlands what they call in New Orleans the Biou are responsible for being a bridge between fresh and saltwater environments.

Mississippi River 2012

There is some serious geology science here but the basic concept is that as less freshwater comes off the Mississippi River more salt water from the ocean is able to enter the river. If wetlands were still intact and not destroyed by development, oil spills, and sea level rise they could mitigate this problem. The sill the Army Corps of Engineers is building may delay the saltwater intrusion for 10–15 days at which time there will hopefully be some rain to help increase the river flow but this is not a permanent solution. We need to take a holistic look at this problem and see how we can return more fresh water to the Missipi River from the massive corn and soy farms that use so much of it and we need to restore the beautiful tidal wetlands of the Gulf of Mexico. The way to protect our drinking water is to protect all water!