Vicksburg, Miss. - August 5, 2009 – The Mississippi River Commission has scheduled visits to all major river basins within the Mississippi River watershed. The commission will be meeting with stakeholders, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offices to better understand concerns, issues and impacts on the watershed as a whole.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through four of its nine divisions (Northwestern, Great Lakes and Ohio River, Southwestern, and Mississippi Valley) and their districts, implements civil works projects in all the major basins of the Mississippi River watershed, including the Missouri, Ohio, Upper and Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White, Red and Illinois rivers. The MRC recognizes the importance of these projects to the entire Mississippi River basin.
The current schedule for MRC inspection trips include the Illinois River in 2009, the Arkansas-White in 2010, the Red River in 2011 and the Upper Mississippi River in 2012. Previous trips included the Ohio River watershed in 2005 and the Missouri River in 2007. The MRC is also engaging in a broad spectrum of issues to advance a 200-year vision for the world's 3rd largest watershed.
“Efforts to sustain the world's 3rd largest watershed require a unified vision and an intergenerational commitment,” said Brigadier General Michael J. Walsh, Commander of the Mississippi Valley Division and President-Elect, Mississippi River Commission.
The MRC also holds public meetings on the mainstem Mississippi River to address issues related to impacts on projects they implement for the comprehensive Mississippi River and Tributaries Project and to make recommendations on projects they have identified as comprehensive projects that have impact on the watershed; for example:
* Louisiana Coastal Area Study (MRC Report: 12-16-2004, in WRDA 2007 at $1.9 billion).
* Upper Mississippi River/Illinois Waterway System Navigation Feasibility Study, now called NESP (Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program) (MRC Report: 11-22-2005, in WRDA 2007 at $2.2 billion for navigation, $1.7 billion for environmental).
* Upper Mississippi River Comprehensive Plan (MRC Recommendation: 08-13-2008, transferred to Congress by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works January 19, 2009).
For the commission’s upcoming low-water inspection trip, five public hearings have been scheduled aboard the Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI in selected towns along the river so commission members have the opportunity to meet with local residents and hear their concerns, ideas and issues. Hearing dates, times and locations are as follows:
• August 14 9:00 a.m. St. Louis, Mo., at City Front
• August 17 9:00 a.m. Tiptonville, Tenn., at River Park
• August 18 9:00 a.m. Memphis, Tenn., at Mud Island
• August 19 9:00 a.m. Greenville, Miss., at City Front
• August 21 9:00 a.m. Morgan City, La., at Port Commission Dock
All meetings will be open to the public with the agenda as given below:
1. President of the commission will present a summary of national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
2. District Commander will present an overview of current project issues in his district for the commission.
3. Local organizations and members of the public will have an opportunity to make presentations or offer views or comments to the commission on any issue affecting programs or projects of the commission and the Corps.
The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue, an exchange of viewpoints and ideas flowing between the public, the Corps and the Commission. This process allows the public a greater voice in shaping federal management policy of the river. Presentations by the public are made orally, but a copy of the remarks should be presented to the commission for the official record.
Since 1879, the seven-member Presidentially-appointed Mississippi River Commission has developed and matured plans for the general improvement of the Mississippi River from the Head of Passes to the Headwaters. The Mississippi River Commission brings critical engineering representation to the drainage basin, which impacts 41 percent of the United States and includes 1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states, and 2 Canadian provinces.
For more information please contact your local Corps district office, call the MRC office at 601-634-5768 or email cemvd-ex@usace.army.mil.