Tenn-Tom Water Authority planning waterway improvement projects

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A river runs through it.

The Tenn-Tom Waterway means traffic and a booming river economy.

That’s why the Tennessee-Tombigbee Water Authority is working to improve the waterway and make it more competitive.

This includes deepening the river from nine feet to 12 feet. They are also planning to build a barrier to help with the Asian Carp problem.

Mitch Mays, the Administrator of the Tenn-Tom Authority, talked to Exchange Club members in Columbus about how these changes will promote growth and trade.

“Really what it boils down to is commerce, business, and industry. You know, this means a lot of jobs in the area. The Tenn-Tom waterway has a huge effect on revenue for the counties and cities, tax revenues, but also personal income for people who work there. So the Tenn-Tom was built to encourage economic development and that is what it has done,” said Mays.

The Water Authority hopes to bring about these improvements to the waterway as soon as possible.

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