VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi River Commission has canceled the Morgan City, Louisiana, public hearing scheduled for Aug. 28, 2020, during the annual low water inspection trip due to Hurricane Laura.
Safety is paramount during any severe weather event. Because of the uncertainty of the hurricane, the commission has decided to cancel this stop.
In order for public testimony to still be received by the commission, interested parties may send testimony for public record via email to edie.whittington@usace.army.mil. The Commission will accept testimonies for the record until 5:00pm on Sept. 4, 2020.
Partners and stakeholders are encouraged to present their views on matters affecting the water resources infrastructure needs in the valley, including flood control, the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, and other water resources challenges.
A meeting was conducted in Caruthersville, Missouri, Aug. 24, and another meeting in Greenville, Mississippi, is scheduled for Aug. 26, aboard the Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI.
The Mississippi River Commission, established in 1879, is composed of seven members, each nominated by the President of the United States and vetted by the Senate. Three of the organization's members are officers of the Corps of Engineers; one member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers.
General duties of the commission include recommending policy and work programs, studying and reporting on the necessity for modifications or additions to the flood control and navigation project and conducting semi-annual inspection trips. The authority of the commission extends the entire length of the Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Head of Passes, Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
The public hearing process is unique to the Mississippi River Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue between watershed interests, the public and the Corps. Presentations by the public are made orally, and a copy of the remarks is presented to the commission for official record and written response.
The benefits of hearing the issues and concerns first hand through the public hearing process are invaluable to the commission and the Corps. Also, the interaction with congressional, federal and state interests, local boards and non-government organizations and the public is crucial to the decision-making process for the nation’s water resources.
The Mississippi River Commission brings critical engineering representation to the drainage basin, which impacts 41% of the United States and includes 1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states and two Canadian provinces.