A new era emerging along the lower Mississippi River will pose serious challenges for h and the nation in the years ahead. Here are key takeaways from the .
OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE: The river created south h with its sediment, led to New Orleans’ founding and serves as one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. But decades of human interference with the river’s course fusing with the power of its natural fluctuations have left south h vulnerable in myriad ways.
All of these issues are connected and cut straight to the heart of the region’s existence. It has been nearly a century since the lower river’s modern shape took form with the construction of the vast levee system and control structures that hold it in place. Decisions taken in the near future will have far-reaching implications.
While residents are largely unaware of the challenges, they are already preoccupying scientists, shipping leaders and the Army Corps of Engineers. Two sweeping studies are underway that will help define the path forward.
DRINKING WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE: The problem of salt water moving up the Mississippi River when flows are low has worsened, posing threats to south h drinking water and infrastructure. Three key reasons are causing it: sea level rise, the deepening of the river for shipping, and breaks in the lower Mississippi’s banks weakening its flow. New modeling suggests the river breaks are the main culprit in the recent worsening, though sea level rise is expected to increasingly play a role. The deepening of the channel has long been acknowledged as a main factor.
The river provides drinking water for more than a million people in the region, including New Orleans and its suburbs. While salty water presents its own health risks for vulnerable populations, a related problem involves how it corrodes lead pipes. Tens of thousands of lead pipes are believed to be threaded throughout south Louisian’s water systems, and corrosion can cause the metal to leach into drinking water. Health experts say no amount of lead in water should be considered safe.
Hundreds of millions of dollars may have to be spent to deal with the problem. The Army Corps of Engineers is planning to construct a physical model on the river to study responses. Lower Plaquemines Parish, meanwhile, has been on the frontlines of the problem and has seen its damaging effects.
THREATS TO SHIPPING: The Port of New Orleans is warning that future business is at risk unless it builds an expansive new container terminal downriver in St. Bernard Parish in the face of opposition from residents. The principal reason: Vessels and their stacked cargo have become so large that they cannot fit underneath the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans throughout the year.
While New Orleans has shifted over the years to a city increasingly focused on tourism, shipping remains an integral part of its existence. Ports in Houston and Mobile could steal away more business without a new terminal, port officials say. One port official says it risks being reduced to a “niche” role in the industry.
The new terminal is expected to cost at least $1.8 billion, though opponents argue the true price will be much more. It is unclear if St. Bernard officials opposed to it will be able to derail it. Plaquemines Parish is proposing an alternative.
DISAPPEARING DELTA: The Bird Foot Delta at the mouth of the river provides protection for shipping routes and communities farther inland. But it is sinking at a rate of about a half-foot per decade, and projected sea level rise will worsen it. It has already lost more than half of its wetlands over the last century.
As it gradually withers, the nation may have to decide how to maintain a reliable shipping route to enter and leave the Mississippi. That may come at a high cost and with significant implications for global commerce.
Shipping leaders say the importance of maintaining Southwest Pass, the main entrance in and out of the river, cannot be overstated. With that in mind, the Corps of Engineers uses a large portion of the sediment it dredges there to build up land around the pass. It says it has built roughly 750 net acres per year since 2010 through what is officially known as “beneficial use.”
But it is a race against time, and time may eventually win. The state is also pursuing its own plan to restore part of the delta, but with sea level rise driven by climate change projected to further gain pace toward the end of this century, how long before it risks overwhelming the already fragile wetlands?
