Farmers Feeling Salty? Mississippi River Hits New Record Lows
November 14, 2023 When it rains, it pours. The saying fits well when adding up the number of extreme weather events around the U.S. in 2023. NOAA reports there have been 25 separate billion-dollar disasters so far this year. In this latest case though, we’re talking drought and saltwater intrusion. The Mississippi River hit record lows (again) this past month. The low water levels have caused barges to run aground, driving up transportation costs for farmers.
The hot and dry stretch of weather (two years in a row) is not only causing the river water to recede, but also is allowing more saltwater to spill in from the Gulf of Mexico. Saltwater intrusion is/has been a growing concern for farmers, especially in southern Louisiana. By mid-September, the “saltwater wedge” had worked its way up to lower Plaquemines Parish. A local citrus and vegetable nursery owner there expressed grave concern during a news interview at the time as the saltwater intrusion was overtaking the levee and heading in his nursery’s direction. “It’ll kill our business,” he told a 4WWL TV (New Orleans) reporter.
Since then, government officials have been watching closely as the wedge creeps further up the Mississippi River, threatening New Orleans’ drinking water supply and everything else in its path. The latest saltwater wedge forecast from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers however indicates New Orleans will be spared. Also in that list is Belle Chasse where the nursery owner’s operation is located. It’s a different story points south. To check out where the saltwater wedge is now, click here.
Dealing in Drought
Despite the now favorable saltwater wedge forecast, drought conditions continue to dog the Deep South. Nearly the entire state of Louisiana and more than half of Mississippi is in Exceptional Drought status. But relief looks to be on the way. The seasonal precipitation outlook from NOAA is predicting wetter-than-average conditions for the southern Plains, Southeast, and Gulf Coast.
Map courtesy of National Drought Mitigation Center
For now, farmers are doing what they can to deal with the current water and plant stressors. “Everyone in Plaquemines is irrigating from the top of the river, which is mostly fresh or with municipal water, which has gone through a reverse osmosis process and is now below 200 PPM,” says Anna Timmerman, LSU AgCenter Associate Extension Agent – Horticulture.
She adds that this situation is not new there and no negative effects have been observed or reported in commercial crops. “The issue was more if the wedge hit the urban areas that garden centers and small produce growers utilizing municipal lead pipelines would be impacted, but that is now forecast to not take place.”
Adapting To Saltwater Intrusion
Saltwater intrusion threats for coastal ag will continue to increase along with rising sea levels. USDA offers a few ways growers can adapt to saltwater intrusion (rainfall events aside):
- Regular irrigation practices
- Adding gypsum to decrease excess salt in the soil
- Using compost and manure products with low salt levels
- Cover crops, which help salt to leach down through the soil by increasing the flow of water, also can be grown on affected fields
- Adding in conservation practices on or next to impacted fields
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