Yazoo County received some good news this week with a bill heading to the governor’s office for the construction of a levee along the river for flood control.
“This project will help protect 123,000 acres of agricultural land and Delta communities from flooding when the Mississippi River rises and backs up the Yazoo River,” said Lt. Governor Delbert Hoseman. “Flooding has been an ongoing challenge in this part of our state, so this project is long overdue. We are glad to help move this forward.”
The bill passed through both the Senate and House and will head to Gov. Tate Reeves’ office. Sam Martin, lobbyist for the Yazoo County Board Supervisors, told county leaders this week that he feels positive about the bill’s progress.
“Sen. Briggs Hopson and Sen. Joseph Thomas sponsored this in the Senate, and Rep. Kevin Ford, Rep. Timaka James-Jones and Rep. Bryant Clark sponsored this same exact bill at the House,” Martin reported. “They got it through, and it looks like it is on its way to the governor. I feel like he is not going to have any issues with it.”
Martin said the bills grant broad authority to the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission to construct and directly manage all phases of a major levee system project, including design, pre-construction, environmental mitigation, and right-of-way acquisitions for a levee system bordering portions of the Yazoo River, within Yazoo County.
“Although extensive levees have been completed over the years to reduce flooding within the Yazoo River Watershed, the Satartia Extension, Rocky Bayou, and Carter Areas have uncompleted levees,” Martin said. “Through this Bill, the State is taking a vital step to reduce the flooding in this area by directing more than $100 million from the federal government to complete the project.”
Martin said the engineering analysis should begin within the next five months to a year before bidding and construction begin. At some point, he added the maintenance of the 48-mile levee may fall upon the Corps of Engineers.
“It’s a significant project, Martin said. “It may take a few more years to complete and probably require some more federal money, but it will have a significant impact on decreasing flooding in that area upon its completion.”
Martin added that this project is not directly related to the project commonly referred to as the "Yazoo Backwater Pumps," but is still extremely important to the prevention of flooding in this area.
Martin’s summary report to the county board included:
• The proposed project is needed to provide flood protection to the area which consists of approximately 123,000 acres (192 square miles), much of which is considered prime farmland and to address applicable NRCS and State of Mississippi standards and design criteria for cropland drainage and erosion control.
• The project includes extending the existing levee system along both banks of the Yazoo River south of Yazoo City and connecting to the existing levee near Satartia. The project proposes construction of an additional 48 miles of levee.
• In addition to the levee, the project proposes the construction of approximately nine miles of roadway, two major drainage structures, and approximately 44 minor drainage structures. NRCS also proposes to connect a gap in the levee system located approximately four miles north of Yazoo City near the intersection of the Yazoo River and U.S. Route 49W. This segment is approximately 1.4 miles in length. The proposed levees would protect flood-prone rural areas and agricultural lands along the Yazoo River north and west of Satartia. The subject area floods when the Mississippi River rises and water backs up the Yazoo River. This area has experienced significant floods in recent years, including 2008, 2011, 2016, and 2018 (Delta Council, 2018).
