Melting ice caps & freshwater (vs salt water)

Question

Ive been wondering, if the ocean levels rise at an extremely high level, what happens to our drinking water (freshwater) ?? Can you Give a hypothetic estimation of how fresh water levels would be affected?

Answer 1

Freshwater supplies are always a point of concern with any environmental issue, not just climate change/sea level rise.  The ocean has a tendency to take back the land and it doesn't take too much salt water to contaminate a freshwater body.  

It is very likely that as sea levels rise there will be a big impact on some freshwater systems.  At the same time however you have to realize that sea level rise from ice and the polar ice caps will result in about a 70m sea level rise (that is if all the ice melts).  THat is enough to devestate any coastal region on the planet but that is not where our freshwater is.  Think of the great lakes.  they would be fine.  

The areas that will get most impacted are estuaries and freshwater bays.  Also tidal wetlands as well as river systems.  River systems will have to be relocated because they will still have freshwater, but the mouth of the river (where it lets out) will be futher inland then now.  SO all in all it is a very real issue, but there is no complete destruction to the freshwater supply...