Checking the Mississippi River Infrastructure Needs

The Mississippi River Commission will conduct its annual high-water inspection trip on the Mississippi River March 23-27, 2015. Four public meetings have been scheduled aboard the Motor Vessel.

The commission members have the opportunity to meet with local partners, stakeholders and residents and hear their concerns, ideas and issues.

The meeting places, dates and times are as follows:

• March 23 9:00 a.m. New Madrid, Mo. (City Front)
• March 24 9:00 a.m. Memphis, Tenn. (Beal Street Landing)
• March 25 1:00 p.m. Vicksburg, Miss. (City Front)
• March 27 9:00 a.m. Baton Rouge, La. (City Dock above USS Kidd)

All meetings are open to the public. Anyone with an interest is invited to present their views and suggestions on matters affecting the water resources infrastructure needs in the valley, including flood control and the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, environmental issues, recreation, navigation and others.

The agenda for each public meeting will be as follows:

1. Summary report by president of the commission on national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
2. District commander’s overview for the commission on current project issues in the respective district area.
3. Presentations to the commission by local organizations and members of the public giving views or comments on any issue affecting the programs or projects of the commission and the Corps of Engineers.

The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue, an exchange of viewpoints and ideas flowing between the watershed interests, the public and the Corps. Presentations by the public are made orally, but a copy of the remarks should be presented to the commission for the official record and written response.

Since 1879, the seven-member Presidentially appointed Mississippi River Commission has developed and matured plans for the general improvement of the Mississippi River from the Head of Passes to the Headwaters. 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.