Plan on addressing flood issue in South Delta gets approval
YAZOO BACKWATER, Miss. (WCBI) – A plan to address flooding issues in an area of the South Delta gets the go-ahead from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Major General Kimberly Peeples, commander of the Mississippi Valley Division of the Army Corps of Engineers, signed the Record of Decision for the Yazoo Backwater management plan Thursday, January 16.
The Yazoo Backwater is located north of Vicksburg and is prone to recurring flooding due to rain accumulation behind levees.
After years of study, a plan has been developed.
It includes the installation of high-volume pumps at the Steele Bayou Water Control Structure, which will manage water levels at a 90-foot elevation during crop season and a 93-foot elevation in non-crop season, from mid-October to Late March.
The plan also calls for a voluntary acquisition program for buildings and agricultural lands within the affected area and options for floodproofing or raising buildings.
The plan will now move to the pre-construction engineering and design phase and the mitigation phase.
Funding sources for construction will have to be secured before the completion of the design phase.
