A five-year study of the Lower Mississippi River in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri
and Tennessee will help guide Corps of Engineers management and conservation efforts well into the future.
Mississippi River Study Launched by the Corps
By Keith “Catfish” Sutton
What could be one of the most important studies of the Mississippi River ever conducted has been launched by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In June, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New Orleans District, announced the launch of the Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study, a five-year, $25 million mega-study that will deliver recommendations for effective and practical management of the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico. As many readers of this column are aware, this stretch of the Father of Waters is considered by many to be one of the most important North American destinations for anglers seeking trophy catfish. The study could have serious ramifications, both good and bad, for the management of blue, flathead and channel catfish in the lower river.
The purpose of the study is to identify recommendations for the comprehensive management of the region across multiple purposes, including hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structure and nonstructural flood control, floodplain management strategies, navigation, ecosystem and environmental restoration, water supply, hydropower production, recreation and other purposes as determined by the Secretary of the Army.
The study area encompasses seven states (Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee) making the study unprecedented in size and scope.
“This study provides the opportunity to consider this critical flood risk management system and identify what, if any, opportunities, and modifications are needed to account for the change in river dynamics as well as the needs of the nation over the last century,” said Col. Cullen Jones, commander, New Orleans District. “The Mississippi River is the nation’s most important waterway and one of the world’s most important natural resources. We are committed to ensuring it remains so in the future.”
This study was authorized by the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) 2020, which directed the Corps of Engineers to develop recommendations for comprehensive management of the lower Mississippi River basin. WRDA 2022 mandated that the study be 100 percent federally funded.
Per the implementation guidance from WRDA 2020, the New Orleans District commander will lead the study, supported by personnel from four USACE districts within the Mississippi Valley Division: New Orleans District, Vicksburg District, Memphis District and St. Louis District.
Due to the size and scope of the study, active participation and collaboration from the public and stakeholders throughout the five-year endeavor will be critical to identifying practical and sustainable recommendations for successful management of the river.
As the study progresses forward updates, information about outreach opportunities and public meetings will be shared on the New Orleans District’s website and social media accounts. More information about the study and outreach will be added to the website as it becomes available. For details, visit www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/LMRComp/
