After the Mississippi, Coastal Communities Should Expect to Face Their Own Saltwater Intrusion Threat

The Guardian has written an article discussing the potential threat to drinking water that U.S. coastal communities face from future saltwater intrusions in the next five to ten years.

While the national focus has been on the saltwater intrusion into the Mississippi River that’s left thousands located in areas with contaminated drinking water, cities in Florida, California, and the Northeast should also be concerned according to hydrologists. In hydrology, the salt line is the zone where inland water meets seawater and, as sea levels rise, so does this line. Eventually, it can reach an elevation where it impacts surface communities. Coastal communities in low-lying areas, such as the Southeast’s barrier island chain, or coastal communities that depend on deep water sources, such as Los Angeles, will see the effects first. Members are encouraged to consider their region’s risk of suffering saltwater intrusion in the next decade and to begin efforts to prepare now. Read more at the Guardian.