Saltwater intrusion in Mississippi River threatens livelihood of residents south of New Orleans

Communities along the freshwater Mississippi River are facing a growing threat from an intrusion of saltwater moving the wrong way up the river from the Gulf of Mexico. It has wreaked havoc on public drinking water infrastructure for thousands of people, decimated a once-thriving local seafood industry, and has raised concerns about the future safety of New Orleans' drinking water.

"This is our main water source," said Mitch Jurisich, a third-generation oysterman and a local councilman in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana's southernmost parish located an hour's drive outside New Orleans, where he says damage from saltwater is a daily problem.

"It's wiped out our public oyster grounds east of the river and put a lot of people in poverty," Jurisich said.