U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss) today announced an additional $46.5 million in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding will be allocated for work on 27 projects in Mississippi, including $7.5 million to advance efforts to address Yazoo Backwater Area flooding.
Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Army Corps, said the additional FY2020 funding will support flood control structures, six wastewater projects in Clinton, Gautier, Oxford, Sardis, and Jackson and DeSoto counties, and harbor dredging in Gulfport and Pascagoula.
“Congress gives the Army Corps the discretion to allocate funding to projects that are underfunded but would have a near-term positive impact on public health and safety. This is the case for the projects in Mississippi getting additional funding,” Hyde-Smith said.
“I am particularly pleased the Army Corps is dedicating funding to the Yazoo Backwater Area, which signals it understands the critical situation in the South Delta,” she said.
The additional Mississippi project funding derives from the FY2020 appropriations legislation signed into law in December. The Army Corps FY2020 Work Plan outlines the projects that will receive additional resources this year.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FY2020 Work Plan (Mississippi)
Total of additional $46.5 million for 27 Mississippi projects
Construction Account – Environmental Infrastructure: $13,752,500 total (new funding)
- $4.0 million for an ongoing project to reclaim treated wastewater effluent from points in southern Jackson County
- $3,922,500 to complete construction of the Lower Camp Creek Force Main pipeline portion of the DeSoto County Wastewater Treatment Project
- $2,500,000 for a nano filtration water treatment plant for the City of Gautier
- $1.700,000 to initiate and complete construction of new sewer and water rehabilitation work in the City of Oxford
- $750,000 to initiate and complete construction of new sewer and water rehabilitation work in the City of Sardis
- $700,000 to initiate and complete construction of new sewer and water rehabilitation work in the City of Clinton
Operation & Maintenance Account: $12,961,000 total
- Additional $6,029,000 for channel dredging and activities at Whitten Lock on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (FY2020 total: $43,698,000)
- Additional $5,130,000 for Gulfport Harbor dredging (FY2020 total: $9,485,000)
- Additional $1,700,000 for Pascagoula Harbor dredging (FY2020 total: $5,560,000)
- Additional $39,000 for Yazoo River navigation maintenance clearing and snagging activities (FY2020 total: $150,000)
- Additional $23,000 for Mouth of the Yazoo River dredging activities (FY2020 total: $330,000)
- $40,000 for Water and Environmental Certification
Mississippi River and Tributaries – Construction: $13,192,000 total (new funding)
- $7,500,000 million for the Yazoo Backwater Area to continue environmental documentation and the acquisition of mitigation necessary to advance revived efforts to complete the last remaining unconstructed feature of the project—pumps
- $2,942,000 for Big Sunflower River to complete the design and construction of two sediment reduction structure projects
- $2,750,000 for Upper Yazoo Projects for ongoing channel improvement and bank stabilization efforts
Mississippi River and Tributaries – Operation and Maintenance: $6,819,000 total
- Additional $1,655,.000 – Arkabutla Lake (FY2020 total: $7,186,000)
- Additional $1,322,00 – Grenada Lake (FY2020 total: $6,151,000)
- Additional $826,000 – Sardis Lake (FY2020 total: $6,116,000)
- Additional $800,000 – Yazoo Backwater Area (FY2020 total: $1,204,000)
- Additional $743,000 – Tributaries (FY2020 total: $1,418,000)
- Additional $655,000 – Enid Lake (FY2020 total: $5,318,000)
- Additional $560,000 – Main Stem (FY2020 total: $1,695,000)
- Additional $107,000 – Inspection of Completed Works (FY2020 total: $259,000)
- Additional $100,000 – Whittington Auxiliary (FY2020 total: $380,000)
- Additional $45,000 – Yazoo City (FY2020 total: $559,000)
- Additional $4,000 – Greenwood (FY2020 total: $751,000)
- Additional $2,000 – Vicksburg Harbor (FY2020 total: $942,000)
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Release from Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Magnolia Tribune
