U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins construction on new saltwater sill in Mississippi River
PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. (WGNO) — As the Mississippi River water level lowers, the possibility of a saltwater intrusion increases, and for the third year in a row, southern Louisiana will be facing one.
Thankfully, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already begun construction on a brand-new underwater sill at approximately river mile 64 near Myrtle Grove.
“It’s a submarine barrier that will delay and will arrest the progress of it as it moves upriver,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett.
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The spot at the river where the sill will be located is about 90 feet deep, and the sill will rise to about 55 feet.
“So, you’re really looking at 30 to 40 feet of sand that we’re going to build in. It’s going to create a basin. It’s going to create a pool that the saltwater is going to then fill up behind before it can move forward,” Boyett said.
While the sill is expected to prevent the intrusion from moving farther upriver, some locations in southern Plaquemines Parish do pose a threat to the water supply.
Prior experience is helping parish leaders prepare quicker, utilizing tools they have used before.
“We have all of the reverse osmosis and the filtration systems in place in Boothville, Port Sulpher and East Pointe à la Hache, and we’re producing good drinking water for all the communities in those areas,” said Plaquemines Parish President Keith Hinkley.
Hinkley says barring anything drastic, he’s confident that the preparations are enough.
“It’s not going to do anything to our residents’ water. It would have to be a serious situation of something that would take and move these machines out the way, but right now we truly do have a handle on the southern end of our parish,” said Hinkley.
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