Climatologists say it could be part of a larger trend. For the third year in a row, extreme drought conditions in the Midwest are drawing down water levels on the Mississippi River, raising prices for companies that transport goods downstream and forcing governments and business owners to seek alternative solutions.

An influx of salt water in the Mississippi River, which feeds southeastern Louisiana's drinking water supplies, is once again creeping up the waterway. For the third year in a row, an underwater levee is being built to slow the brackish intrusion and prevent it from reaching water intake treatment facilities.

Construction has begun on a saltwater sill near Myrtle Grove to help mitigate the effects of saltwater intrusion up the Mississippi River.