WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLBT) -Five years after floods devastated a large swath of the Mississippi Delta, the federal government is one step closer to implementing a plan to address it.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its support for a plan that would include the installation of high-volume pumps, as well as voluntary buyouts from some property owners in the affected Yazoo Backwater Study Area in an Environmental Impact Statement released Friday.

The plan comes five years after flooding from the Mississippi River inundated approximately 486,000 acres of land in 2019 after heavy rains upstream increased the Mississippi River levels for several months.

It also comes more than three years after the Environmental Protection Agency reversed a Trump-era decision that would have allowed a pump plan to go forward.

U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith praised the Corps’ announcement as a major milestone to bring flood relief to South Delta residents.

“For decades, the government promised flood control solutions to the people of the South Delta. Today’s announcement puts us one step closer to preventing further hardship, loss, and frustration in the region. It is time to finish the pumps,” Wicker said.

“A lot of work has gone into getting this final EIS, which puts us closer to seeing our goal on the horizon—namely getting to the Record of Decision that should allow us to finally get to work providing flood protection to the Yazoo Backwater Area,” Hyde-Smith said. “With the Corps, EPA, and Fish and Wildlife Service all on the same page, we are closer to construction than we’ve been in a very long time.  I strongly encourage those living in the Delta and elsewhere in Mississippi to push these federal agencies to finish the pumps.”

According to the document, high-volume pumps would be added at the Steele Bayou Water Control Structure to manage water levels during both the crop and non-crop seasons. Additionally, 34 “supplemental low-flow groundwater wells” would be added along streams to supplement river flow during low-flow times.

The plan also would include voluntary buyout opportunities for people in the most frequently flooded areas. For owners not participating in those buyouts, the Corps also would offer other measures, such as “floodproofing” or “raising structures.”

However, the Corps says if residents participate in the latter, they would likely be unable to access their properties from October to March, when floodwaters are being kept between 90 and 93 feet of the 1929 national sea level.

The triangle-shaped backwater study area runs from north of Hollandale to south of Eagle Bend and is bordered by the Mississippi River to the west and portions of the Yazoo River to the east. Approximately 30,500 people live in the area, according to Corps data.

Some 600 homes were inundated during the 2019 flood, which also caused about $800 million in agricultural losses.

Between 102 and 233 residential and commercial structures would be eyed for buyouts as part of the Corps-backed alternative. Relocation assistance benefits would be provided to residents who agree to sell.

A portion of Mississippi State Highway 462, as well as the bridge near the proposed pump station, would also have to be relocated.

The final EIS is available on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website. The public review period will run until Monday, December 30.

For more information, contact Mr. Mike Renacker at yazoobackwater@usace.army.mil.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Copyright 2024 WLBT. All rights reserved.