The Mississippi’s current is typically strong enough to prevent seawater from moving upriver.

But it’s a challenge that gets harder each year as global warming causes sea level in the Gulf to rise, while coastal subsidence causes the riverbed to sink.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/29/climate/new-orleans-saltwater-map.html

Map: When Will the Saltwater Wedge Reach New Orleans?

The drought-stricken Mississippi River can no longer hold back the saltwater creeping upstream, contaminating drinking water.

The New York Times