Yazoo Backwater Project back on track

The Mississippi Levee Board is thrilled with the proposed water management solution for backwater flooding in the Mississippi South Delta that was introduced May 4th in Vicksburg, MS. This collaborative effort among all federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USF&WS), came up with a recommended preferred approach that includes a 25,000 cfs Pump.

These federal agencies have been working since early January 2023 to develop this new plan. They came to Mississippi February 15th and 16th to meet with local people, community leaders, elected officials, farmers and environmental groups. The local citizens explained the devastation that backwater flooding causes to the people, homes, roads, trees, wildlife and the environment. After all these meetings the federal agencies developed this new plan and they came back to Mississippi to unveil it on May 4th and 5th.

Mississippi Levee Board President Kenny Rodgers said, “This is a monumental day for the Pumps! The Levee Board is extremely grateful for Sen. Roger Wicker, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Cong. Bennie Thompson for their steadfast support of this project.”

Mississippi Levee Board Vice-President Nott Wheeler said, “The Mississippi Levee Board commends the Biden Administration for coming to Mississippi and listening to the people who are impacted by backwater flooding and pushing these federal agencies to work together to develop a workable solution.”

Mississippi Levee Board Chief Engineer Peter Nimrod said, “This new plan will finally provide the people, wildlife and environment the protection that they deserve and have been promised since 1941. This 25,000 cfs pump will be able to maintain certain water levels and provide real flood protection above these proposed elevations.”

The preliminary proposed plan would maintain a 90′ elevation during the crop season defined as March 25-October 31. During the non-crop season (November 1-March 24) it would allow the backwater to touch 93′.

Nimrod said, “The community was delighted with the new plan but they have asked the federal agencies to go back and look to see if they could lower the pump-on elevations and start the crop-season in earlier March.” Wheeler explained, “The original plan for the Yazoo Backwater Project called for a 25,000 cfs pump that turned on at 80′. We acknowledge that we have to compromise to get this project built – but our people have given up 10′ to 13′ of protection for the environment.”

The federal agencies will finalize the new plan by June 30, 2023. At that point the Corps will move forward with the environmental documentation.