Rain replenishes freshwater in rivers and streams, so they don't taste salty. However, the water in the ocean collects all of the salt and minerals from all of the rivers that flow into it.
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A shrinking river is hurting people and the economy in a variety of ways. Barges can't operate on the river to get goods to market. Drinking water may also be at risk – for example, salt water moving upriver from the Gulf of Mexico could impact drinking water supplies in parts of Louisiana.
The worst-ever dry period occurred in the late 1500s. However, the dry years of 2021 and 2022 exceeded the 1500's drought length. This means the last 22 years are the driest in 1,200 years.
Typically, the large volume of fresh water flowing down the Mississippi River toward the Gulf of Mexico has enough force to push out the salt water, but recent drought conditions have brought the Mississippi's water levels down, weakening its flow and allowing salt water from the Gulf to encroach.
With a salinity level over 40 percent, Don Juan is significantly saltier than most of the other hypersaline lakes around the world. The Dead Sea has a salinity of 34 percent; the Great Salt Lake varies between 5 and 27 percent. Earth's oceans have an average salinity of 3.5 percent.
The Dead Sea's extreme salinity excludes all forms of life except bacteria. Fish carried in by the Jordan or by smaller streams when in flood die quickly.
Turnover is like being at the mall … or at a fair.Turnover is a natural way the lake cleans up harmful bacteria and algae. It carries dead algae down into the depths of the lake where there is less sunlight, helping to prevent algae growth.