Army Corps, EPA hold meetings on Yazoo flood mitigation plan. What to expect

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have reached a preferred approach to solve persistent flooding in the Yazoo Backwater Area, officials announced Thursday.

More: Equity debate over millions for flood mitigation in the south Delta

The Army Corps and EPA announcement marks the first concrete results following months of collaboration among an interagency group of government agencies on the Yazoo Backwater Area, officials said.

The Army Corps and EPA scheduled community engagement sessions May 4-5 to begin sharing details of the “Yazoo Backwater Area Water Management Plan,” with the first in Onward and additional sessions Thursday and Friday in Vicksburg, the Army Corps said in a press statement.

The Army Corps said each session would begin with an overview of the recommended preferred approach, and an open house will follow for attendees to talk with federal agency representatives.

The Onward session on Thursday, May 4, occurred from 9 a.m. to noon at the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at U.S. 61N, 1.5 miles south of Onward and the later sessions were scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District Office located at 4155 Clay Street, Vicksburg. The session on Friday, May 5, will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Army Corps office in Vicksburg.

According to the press release, the recommended preferred approach to water management in the Yazoo Backwater Area will include the installation and operation of pumping stations.

The stations will be designed to operate at a greater overall capacity than previous proposals in order to reduce the risk of flooding for almost all residences, the statement reads. For homes that remain at risk of flooding, the federal government would provide support for voluntary buyouts or help to elevate homes and build ring levees.

The Army Corps is expected to publish details of the plan online here, which will kick off the public comment period on the proposal.

The Army Corps and EPA will then “present their preferred approach(es) for flood risk reduction within the YBA in June. Subsequently, the Army will work expeditiously to develop a report on YBA flood risk reduction solution(s), including a plan for completion of any necessary documentation for compliance with the Clean Water Act and all other applicable laws and regulations.”

At the invitation of the Mississippi congressional delegation, the interagency group traveled to Mississippi in August 2022 to discuss the need for a flood control solution in the Yazoo Backwater Area. The tour concluded with a community town hall at Rolling Fork High School where hundreds of residents shared their support for a flood control solution.

State officials reacted to the announcement on Thursday.

“This is a great announcement,” said U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in a press statement. “It’s a major step forward for South Delta residents who have been waiting decades for the federal government to keep its promise, and also, to protect them from flooding. This water management plan would help prevent nearly all the flooding that has destroyed homes and businesses, ruined crops, and devastated wildlife. Also, this new plan would not have been possible without federal officials hearing firsthand from the many South Delta residents who have shared their unfiltered stories of hardship and loss and frustration. I encourage all Mississippians who have been affected, who are interested in this issue, to continue sharing their stories and feedback on this proposal.”

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith also praised the plan.

“We can give thanks that the Army Corps, EPA, and other agencies kept their promise to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan they all agree on,” Hyde-Smith said in a press statement. “I am excited to say we are stepping onto new ground. After a lot of time, hard work, stakeholder meetings, and many trips to the South Delta, the Corps and cooperating federal agencies support a single path forward. There is a long road ahead in terms of planning, design, funding, and construction of the pumping stations, but I am committed to doing everything I can to move this plan forward. Mississippians deserve this, and have for quite some time.”

Gov. Tate Reeves praised the announcement as well.

“We have been working tirelessly for years to ensure that the federal government ‘finishes the pumps,' and today I want to celebrate a serious victory," Reeves said in a statement to the press. "A delegation from the EPA, Interior, and Army said today that they will be releasing a plan to mitigate the flooding in the Mississippi Delta which, as of now, includes the pump that we have been fighting for."

Reeves said the plan will have a great impact on the state. “I don’t need to tell Mississippi what this means for the Delta and for Mississippi," Reeves said. "Once it’s implemented, this plan will be a big victory for Mississippians.

“But I want to make one thing crystal clear: this accomplishment, the fact that the federal government has agreed to re-examine the flooding and what can be done to stop it, is because of the folks in the Mississippi Delta.

"Over the years those in the Mississippi Delta have consistently raised their voice and shared their concerns. They spoke up, and today we are seeing what happens when you do.

"To everyone in the Delta, I’m so proud of you, our state is proud of you. Thank you for being the catalyst for making today possible.

"I also want to thank all of the local, state, and federal leaders who have worked to make this happen—including the teams at the EPA, Department of Interior, and Army that are clearly signaling that they are listening to the folks on the ground. And of course Mississippi’s federal delegation that has been a relentless advocate, including Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith.

"We’ll continue monitoring the plan and its progress, and we’ll continue working with our partners to protect the Delta from flooding.

"We’ll hold our biggest celebration until that day comes, but once again - congratulations to the loud and proud people of the Mississippi Delta. You made this happen.

"It’s long past time to finish the pumps, and we’ll continue to do everything in our power to get it done. God bless."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Army Corps, EPA hold meetings on Yazoo MS flood mitigation plan