TTWDA is a four-state compact composed of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has been elected as the Chairman of Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority for 2022. Its membership is limited to the four governors of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, and five gubernatorial appointees from each state.
Other Mississippi TTW Development Authority members include:
- Mike Armour- Tupelo, MS
- Nick Ardillo- Columbus, MS
- BJ Canup- Fulton, MS
- Robert Dexter- Iuka, MS
- Bud Phillips- Columbus, MS
- Dale Pierce- Aberdeen, MS
Each year, Chairmanship rotates among the four governors.
The Tenn-Tom Waterway is a 234-mile manmade waterway that links up to 4,500 miles of navigable waterways. Products shipped on the TTW include coal, chemicals, aggregates, manufactured goods including equipment and machinery, and grain.
The 60th anniversary of the TTWDA was in 2018.
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway can ship up to 1.2 billion ton miles of commerce per year and has a total of 24,541 full time jobs.
TTW has an annual savings of $100 million in transportation costs as well as $8.2 billion annual United States economic output.
Governor Reeves Issued the following statement to Y’all Politics on Monday:
“It is my pleasure to serve as Chairman of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority for 2022. The Tenn-Tom Waterway is an integral part of the Mississippi economy and has generated billions in private capital investment and created thousands of jobs in Mississippi. The Tenn-Tom Waterway provides a vital link in our nation’s transportation infrastructure and is a great asset to Mississippi and the member states of the Authority. The State of Mississippi has been blessed with tremendous water resources – we are literally surrounded by waterways; the Tenn-Tom, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. There are bountiful opportunities for business and industry on the Tenn-Tom and I look forward to expanding its economic, trade, and recreational potential. I am excited to assist the forward progress on all these fronts, while also keeping the Authority’s stated mission at the forefront of all we do.”