Maj. Gen. Richard G.

KAISER

President

Hon. Sam E.

ANGEL

Member

Rear Adm. Shepard

SMITH

Member

Maj. Gen. Mark

TOY

Member

Brig. Gen. Paul E.

OWEN

Member

Mississippi

River

Commission

2018

Executive Summary 

Sessions 399 & 400

Sept. 2018

Listening, Inspecting, Partnering & Engineering since 1879

Hon. Norma Jean

MATTEI, Ph.D.

Member, Civil Engineer

Hon. James A.

REEDER

Member
2

the flood. Water lapped at the top of 

floodwalls and levees, exerting 

unprecedented pressure on the backbone of 

the protection system, but the levees 

withstood the record stages and pressure due 

in large part to the operation of three 

floodways and the storage capacity 

provided by non-MR&T reservoirs in the Ohio 

and Arkansas-White basins. The MR&T project 

prevented in excess of $234 billion in 

damages. 

In 2012, with much of the drainage basin 

under exceptional drought conditions and 

river stages plunging to near historic lows 

(more than 50 feet lower than the 2011 highs 

on the major gages between Cairo and Red 

River Landing), the performance of the MR&T 

system again validated the nation’s wise 

investment, as the navigation channel 

remained viable. 

The Mississippi River Commission continued its 

139-year process of listening to the concerns 

of partners and stakeholders in the Mississippi 

valley, inspecting the challenges posed by 

the river and partnering to find sustainable 

engineering solutions to those challenges 

through the 2018 high-water (Session 399) and 

low-water (Session 400) inspections. The 

official record of the proceedings of the 

Mississippi River Commission are kept in 

Vicksburg, Mississippi, or can be accessed at: 

http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/About/

Mississippi-River-Commission-MRC/

https://www.facebook.com/

mississippirivercommission/

https://www.twitter.com/

msrivercomm/

The Mississippi River Commission has a 

proud heritage that dates back to June 

28, 1879, when Congress established the 

seven-member presidential commission 

with the mission to transform the 

Mississippi River into a reliable 

commercial artery, while protecting adjacent 

towns and fertile agricultural lands from 

destructive floods. 

The Mississippi River Commission oversees the 

Mississippi River & Tributaries (MR&T) project 

authorized by the 1928 Flood Control Act. The 

MR&T project employs a variety of 

engineering techniques, including:

 An extensive levee system to prevent 

disastrous overflows on developed alluvial 

lands.

 Floodways and backwater areas to 

provide expansion room for the river to 

prevent undue stress on the 

levee system. 

 Channel improvements and 

stabilization features to protect 

the integrity of flood control 

measures and to ensure proper 

alignment and depth of the 

navigation channel.

 Tributary basin improvements, 

to include levees, headwater 

reservoirs and pumping stations, 

to maximize the benefits 

realized on the main stem by 

expanding flood protection 

coverage and improving 

drainage into adjacent areas within the 

alluvial valley.

Since its initiation, the MR&T project has 

brought an unprecedented degree of flood 

protection to the more than 4.5 million 

people living in a 35,000-square-mile area 

within the lower Mississippi valley. The nation 

has contributed $15.5 billion toward the 

planning, construction, operation and 

maintenance of the project. To date, the 

nation has received a 67 to 1 return on that 

investment, including $1 trillion in flood 

damages prevented. 

The performance of the MR&T system during 

the Great Flood of 2011 validated this wise 

investment. Despite record high flows and 

stages, not a single life was lost as a result of 
3

The intent behind the Mississippi River Commission inspection trips, carried out 

under the authority of Section 8 of the 1928 Flood Control Act, is two fold:

1. Site visits and inspections provide the commission with the opportunity to get 

boots-on-the-ground understanding and inspect key MR&T project features that 

convey floods or facilitate commerce. Likewise, the commission visits public 

infrastructure, businesses and other enterprises from the transportation, 

agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and energy sectors that benefit from 

flood control and navigation improvements. Through this process, the 

commission is able to meet with local sponsors and entrepreneurs and gain a 

deeper understanding of the impacts of federal investments on the local, 

regional and national economies. 

2. Public meetings and partnering sessions allow stakeholders, partners and 

members of the public to meet with the commission to discuss local and 

regional concerns related to the MR&T project and other flood control, 

navigation and water resources challenges. The commission uses the 

knowledge gained to foster a better understanding of the needs of the region 

and improve the management of the watershed and inform policymakers.

Objectives

GOAL 1: Expose leaders and representatives - from the Trump Administration, the 

Office of Management and Budget, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the 

Army for Civil Works, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Headquarters U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers and members of Congress - to the Mississippi River Commission 

public engagement process and the benefits of the Mississippi River and Tributaries 

project.

GOAL 2: Allow for partners, stakeholders and the public to share their concerns 

through public testimony and through the submission of formal written statements. 

Through this process, commission members hear first-hand accounts from those 

impacted and develop a dialogue centered on providing solutions for the 

challenges facing the region. The commission responds publicly to questions and 

provides formal written responses to each speaker. This democratic process allows 

the commission to inform policy makers and determine key regional issues. (See 

“Public Meetings,” page 16.)

GOAL 3: Conduct face-to-face discussions, site visits and presentations that 

provide the commission and its staff with the opportunity to meet with 

stakeholders, partners and the public on a more intimate and personal level. 

Through this process, the commission is able to gain a better understanding of the 

needs of the region so that these needs can be better communicated to key 

leaders and policy makers to improve the management of the watershed.

Inspection Trips

Purpose
4

 The greater Mississippi River basin is our nation’s middle coast connecting the vast 

interior to the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and global markets.

 Our economic prosperity, standard of living and environmental quality are 

increasingly vulnerable to threats posed by aging infrastructure.

 Reliable ports, harbors and channels matter.

 Reliable living in highly productive areas makes our nation great.

 Citizens of the alluvial valley drive productivity and help feed the world.

 National security and global stability are assured through success in the Mississippi 

valley.

Infrastructure Investment

A multigenerational commitment to invest in our water commerce infrastructure 

transformed this great nation from a largely agrarian nation to the world’s preeminent economic power. 

 Our nation’s inland 

waterway system has 

more miles of navigable 

river than the rest of the 

world combined.

 Inland waterways 

connect the main 

industrial centers of the 

interior (Pittsburg, 

Pennsylvania; Chicago, 

Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; 

Memphis, Tennessee; St. 

Louis, Missouri; Kansas 

City, Missouri) with 

coastal ports.

 The inland navigation system overlays the largest contiguous section of 

farmland in the world. Most prime agricultural lands are within 120 miles of a 

navigable river.

 95 percent of all U.S. imports and exports ($4.1 trillion) move on our waterways 

and ports.

 Inland waterways account for 2 billion tons of domestic and imported cargo 

annually.

Strategic Messages

We Are A Maritime Nation
5

Flood control is necessary to achieve energy security, economic security, food security and job 

security. The Mississippi River & Tributaries project has prevented more than $1 trillion in flood 

damages since 1928, or $67 for every dollar invested.

The MR&T protects ENERGY:

 108 power plants that account for 26% of the total power generated in the five states of the 

lower Mississippi: Louisiana (45%), Arkansas (27%), Mississippi (23%), Missouri (11%) and 

Tennessee (5%). 

 108 power plants that employ 2,700 workers and generate $6.8 billion in revenues annually. 

 12 major oil refineries with a 3 million barrel per day capacity.

 33,911 oil and gas wells that produce $7.6 billion in revenues (398 billion cubic feet of 

natural gas and 56 million barrels of oil in 2004). 

 4,574 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines.

The MR&T protects COMMERCE:

 4,364 miles of highways, including major sections of Interstates 10, 20, 40, 55 and 57. 

 2,364 miles of rail used by four major Class I freight carriers with combined (nationally) 

operating revenues of $50 billion annually. 

 Infrastructure supporting 4 of the top 15 deep-draft ports, including the largest port (Port of 

South Louisiana – 246 million tons). 

 Infrastructure supporting commercial navigation on the lower Mississippi River that 

generates $4.6 billion in revenues and 18,700 jobs. 

 Tourism and travel industries that generate $15.5 billion in expenditures and 190,000 jobs. 

 563 manufacturing facilities that generate $106 billion in revenues and employ 207,000 

workers. 

The MR&T protects AGRICULTURE:

 22.5 million acres of cropland valued at $51 billion. 

 22.5 million acres of cropland that generate $8.7 billion in agricultural revenue annually and 

employ 56,000 people. 

 53,525 farms with an average of 422 acres per farm lie within the lower Mississippi River 

corridor and are protected by MR&T levees. 

 MR&T levees protect lands producing 133 million bushels of rice annually, or 67 percent of 

the total rice produced in the United States. 

The MR&T protects PEOPLE and CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE:

 4.5 million people and 1.2 million residential structures. 

 1,147 schools and 91 colleges/ universities. 

 646 fire stations and 346 police stations.

 102 hospitals and 240 nursing homes. 

 158 airports and 86 heliports. 

 Economic profile of the Lower Mississippi River, Final Report Feb. 2014 (Industrial Economics Inc.).

 Data sources include the latest available data from the National Levee Database for Levees and Leveed Areas and Infrastructure 

Data from FEMA HSIPGOLD 2015.

Strategic Messages

Without Flood Control, Nothing Else Matters
6

Strategic Messages
7

Session 399 of the Mississippi River Commission took place April 15-20, 2018. The annual highwater inspection included approximately 1,000 miles of the lower Mississippi River between 

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Approximately 500 people, 

representing boards, agencies and associations with memberships and constituencies 

numbering in the tens of thousands, partnered directly with the commission through public 

hearings, partnering sessions, site visits and inspections and other engagements. (See 

“Partners Engaged,” pages 18-19).

Deputy Commander for Civil and Emergency Operations Maj. Gen. Scott Spellmon, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Ryan Fisher, and Deputy 

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Management and Budget Joseph Bentz also joined the 

commission during the inspection trip.

The Senate confirmed the Hon. R. D. James, who served on the commission since Dec. 1, 

1981, as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on Jan. 30, 2018. James’ vacancy on 

the commission has since been filled. President Donald Trump appointed the Hon. James A. 

Reeder to the commission May 17, 2018.

Mississippi River Commission members present during Session 399:

• Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser, appointed president Sept. 7, 2017

• Hon. Sam E. Angel, reappointed Dec. 30, 2010

• Hon. Norma Jean Mattei, PhD, civil engineer, appointed Dec. 3, 2012

• Rear Adm. Shepard Smith, appointed Jan. 3, 2017

• Brig. Gen. Paul Owen, appointed July 27, 2017

• Brig. Gen. Mark Toy, appointed Dec.13, 2016

• Col. Richard Pannell, secretary (a non-voting position)

From left to right: Brig. Gen. Paul Owen, Brig. Gen. Mark Toy, Hon. Sam Angel, Maj. Gen. Richard 

Kaiser, Dr. Norma Jean Mattei and Rear Adm. Shepard Smith

High-Water Inspection Trip

April 15-20, 2018
8

CONFLUENCE TOUR

April 15: USACE Deputy Commander for Civil and 

Emergency Operations Maj. Gen. Scott Spellmon, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army 

for Civil Works Ryan Fisher, and Deputy Assistant 

Secretary of the Army for Management and 

Budget Joseph Bentz joined the commission on a 

tour of the confluence area of the Mississippi and 

Ohio rivers. The site visit also included tours of the 

city of Cairo, Illinois, and the Birds Point-New 

Madrid Floodway. Activation of the floodway 

when the stage reaches 60.5 feet is critical to 

protect Cairo. Reconstruction of the floodway 

levee following activation is critical for those who 

live and work within the floodway and ensure that 

the floodway is ready for use during subsequent 

floods.

CARUTHERSVILLE FLOODWALL AND PEMISCOTT 

COUNTY HARBOR

April 16: The commission and staff toured the 

Caruthersville, Missouri, floodwall, which came 

within six inches of overtopping during the 2011 

flood. The floodwall, which was constructed in the 

1930s and protects a town of 6,700 people, sits 

around two-feet lower than the levees on either 

side and is badly in need of serious repair or 

replacement.

John Ferguson, director of the Pemiscot 

County Harbor, then briefed the commission 

on the harbor from the pilot house of the 

motor vessel MISSISSIPPI.

Maj. Gen. Scott Spellmon at Birds Point-New Madrid with 

Mississippi Valley Division staff

From left: Charles Camillo, executive director for the 

Mississippi River Commission; Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser; 

Tom Holden, director of Regional Business for the 

Mississippi Valley Division; and Maj. Gen. Scott Spellmon at 

the Cairo, Illinois, river gage

Briefing at Caruthersville floodwall

Pemiscott County Harbor

High-Water Inspection Trip

Site Visits and Inspections
9

OLD RIVER CONTROL COMPLEX & 

BLACKHAWK EMERGENCY LEVEE REPAIR

April 19: Commission members and staff 

visited the Old River Control Complex to 

inspect the navigation lock, and the 

overbank, low-sill and auxiliary structures. 

Russell Beauvais, operations manager for 

Old River Control, then briefed the 

commission on operation of the control 

complex, the flow distribution and Mississippi 

River channel aggradation near the 

structure, which has contributed to higher 

stages between Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 

and just above Natchez, Mississippi.

Commission members also toured an 

emergency sand boil repair site near the 

levee at Blackhawk, Louisiana. During high 

water in February/March, a large sand boil 

developed that threatened to undermine 

the Blackhawk levee just north of the Old 

River Control Complex. The Vicksburg District 

transported sand from a nearby sandbar 

down a ramp running from the levee to the 

boil. The sand was then used to fill the boil 

and prevent it from undermining the levee.

Old River Control Complex

Commission members and staff visit the 

Old River Control Complex

Old River Control Complex

Commission members and staff visit Blackhawk Levee Blackhawk Levee

High-Water Inspection Trip

Site Visits and Inspections
10

As part of the 399 Session, the Mississippi River Commission hosted roundtable and panel 

discussions to facilitate a deeper dialogue among its partners, Corps of Engineers staff and 

the commission on key issues and challenges confronting those who live, work and prosper 

along the Mississippi River.

April 15, Cape Girardeau, 

Missouri – Members of the 

commission held a 

roundtable discussion with 

members of the River Industry 

Executive Task Force.

April 16, New Madrid, Missouri – Dr. Charles Langston, 

director of the University of Memphis Center for 

Earthquake Research, gave a presentation on the New 

Madrid fault and the potential impacts of an 

earthquake on the MR&T system. Charles Davis and 

John Ferguson then briefed the commission from the 

pilot house of the motor vessel MISSISSIPPI on the 

Caruthersville floodwall and the Pemiscott County 

Harbor.

April 17, Memphis, Tennessee – Jimmy Ogle, 

Memphis city historian, gave a presentation on the 

history of the river near Memphis and the various 

engineering projects in the area that have allowed 

the city to flourish.

High-Water Inspection Trip

Partnering Sessions

Dr. Charles Langston

Jimmy Ogle

Members of the Mississippi River Commission and the River Industry Executive Task 

Force meet in the public hearing room onboard the motor vessel MISSISSIPPI.
11

April 18, Greenville, Mississippi – 

Angie Rodgers and Paul Hartfield 

of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

and Lower Mississippi River 

Conservation Committee provided 

a briefing on the collaboration of 

the USFWS and U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers on numerous 

environmental projects within the 

MR&T project footprint.

April 19, Baton Rouge, Louisiana – 

More than 90 stakeholders and 

partners from across south 

Louisiana joined the commission 

aboard the motor vessel 

MISSISSIPPI to discuss the numerous 

challenges they face, including 

sediment diversions, the permitting 

process, and wetlands and 

coastal loss. Angie Colamaria, the 

executive director of the Federal 

Permitting Improvement Steering 

Council, also provided a briefing 

to the commission and its partners 

on improvements to the permitting 

process.

April 20, New Orleans, Louisiana – 

The commission visited the 

president of Tulane University’s 

home to celebrate the opening of 

the River Science and Engineering 

Program. The certificate program, 

which is the product of a 

collaborative effort between the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 

the university, will provide 

graduate level courses on river 

engineering.

High-Water Inspection Trip

Partnering Sessions

Paul Hartfield gives a briefing in the public hearing 

room onboard the motor vessel MISSISSIPPI.

Commission members and staff at the home of 

Tulane University’s president.

Angie Colamaria gives a briefing in the public hearing 

room onboard the motor vessel MISSISSIPPI.
12

Low-Water Inspection Trip

Aug. 19-24, 2018

Session 400 of the Mississippi River Commission took place from Aug. 19-24, 2018. The annual 

low-water inspection included approximately 1,000 miles of the lower Mississippi River and 

Atchafalaya River between Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Morgan City, Louisiana. 

Approximately 400 people, representing boards, agencies and associations with 

memberships and constituencies numbering in the tens of thousands, partnered directly 

with the commission through public hearings, partnering sessions, site visits and inspection, 

and other engagements. (See “Partners Engaged,” pages 18-19). 

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R. D. James joined the commission for the 

entirety of the trip and met with stakeholders and partners from across the valley to listen to 

their concerns in order to communicate them to the administration and Congress. The 

commission was also joined by Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, chief of engineers and U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers commanding general; Maj. Gen. Scott Spellman, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers deputy commanding general for Civil and Emergency Operations; and Edward 

Belk, Senior Executive Service member and chief of Programs Integration for the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers Headquarters. Session 400 was also the first for newly appointed 

member Hon. James Reeder.

Members of the Mississippi River Commission present during Session 400:

• Maj. Gen. Rickard Kaiser, appointed president Sept. 7, 2017

• Hon. Sam E. Angel, reappointed Dec. 30, 2010.

• Hon. Norma Jean Mattei, PhD, civil engineer, appointed Dec. 3, 2012

• Hon. James Reeder, Civil Engineer, appointed May 17, 2018

• Rear Adm. Shepard Smith, appointed Jan. 3, 2017

• Brig. Gen. Paul Owen, appointed July 27, 2017

• Maj. Gen. Mark Toy, appointed Dec. 13, 2016

From left to right: Hon. James Reeder, Rear Adm. Shepard Smith, Hon. Sam Angel, Maj. Gen. Richard 

Kaiser, Dr. Norma Jean Mattei, Maj. Gen. Mark Toy, Brig. Gen. Paul Owen and Col. Robert Hilliard
13

CARUTHERSVILLE FLOODWALL 

Aug. 20: Members of the Mississippi River Commission, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works 

R.D. James and commission staff joined representatives from the city of Caruthersville, Missouri, for a 

ceremony to commemorate a new floodwall. The Memphis District will oversee construction of the 

floodwall using funds from the fiscal year 2018 supplemental. 

The floodwall, which came within six inches of overtopping during the 2011 flood, was constructed in 

the 1930s to protect a town of 6,700 people. The floodwall sits around two-feet lower than the levees 

on either side and has been badly in need of serious repair and replacement for years. The 

commission visited the floodwall during the spring and for years has heard local partners call for its 

replacement. 

BIG RIVER STEEL MILL

Aug. 20: Members of the Mississippi River 

Commission, Assistant Secretary of the Army for 

Civil Works R.D. James and staff toured the Big 

River Steel mill in Osceola, Arkansas, and were 

able to see first-hand what the MR&T system 

means to the local economy. The approximately 

$2 billion steel mill has been a boon to the local 

economy, directly creating hundreds of highpaying jobs as well as hundreds of indirect jobs. 

The commission and Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. 

Todd Semonite first visited the steel mill while it 

was under construction in Aug. 2016 during the 

commission’s low-water inspection trip. 

Construction is now complete on the mill and the company is already investing another $1.2 billion 

in an expansion, which will directly create another 500 high-paying jobs. 

Management chose the location of the mill based on the flood protection and navigable 

waterways provided by the MR&T system. The location provided a competitive advantage because 

of the low cost of river transportation and access to the river. Approximately 70 percent of the mill’s 

product comes in from the river and 30 percent goes out on the river. The massive complex would 

also not exist without the flood protection provided by MR&T levees.

Low-Water Inspection Trip

Site Visits and Inspections

Mississippi River Commission members, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and representatives 

from the city of Caruthersville, Missouri, pose at a historic marker in Caruthersville

At Big River Steel Mill (from left): R.D. James, Hon. Sam Angel, 

Hon. James Reeder, Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser, Brig. Gen. Paul 

Owen, Maj. Gen. Mark Toy and Dr. Norma Jean Mattei
14

MAT SINKING UNIT

Aug. 21: Commission members; Assistant Secretary of the 

Army Civil Works R.D. James; Maj. Gen. Scott 

Spellman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deputy 

commanding general for Civil and Emergency 

Operations; and Edward Belk, Senior Executive Service 

member and chief of Programs Integration for the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters; joined the Mat 

Sinking Unit on the Mississippi River near Greenville, 

Mississippi, where they witnessed the channel and bank 

stabilization work being done on the river. 

The visit provided the commission with a boots-on-theground perspective of the daily efforts of blue-collar, 

manual laborers, whose hard work stabilizes the river channel and makes navigation of the river 

possible. The unit consists of barges for transporting and placing the articulated concrete mattress 

that is used to stabilize riverbanks, and a motor vessel to move what is essentially a floating plant 

filled with workers, machines and materials along the river.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also working with the National Robots and Engineering Center on 

a complete re-design of the Mat Sinking Unit known as the ARMOR ONE project, which will cut costs 

and produce even more effective bank protection. The state-of-the-art ARMOR ONE project is in its 

final design phase and will revolutionize the way riverbanks are stabilized once it is complete.

TECHE-VERMILION PUMPING STATION

Aug. 23: Commission members, Assistant 

Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James 

and staff traveled to Krotz Springs, Louisiana, to 

visit the Teche-Vermillion Pumping Station. The 

New Orleans District constructed the project in 

cooperation with the Teche-Vermillion Fresh Water 

District. The project was completed in 1982 and 

diverts fresh water from the Atchafalaya River into 

the heart of the Acadiana region, which includes 

the St. Martin, Iberia, Lafayette and Vermillion 

parishes. The MR&T levees along the west bank of 

the Atchafalaya River provide essential flood 

protection for the region, but they severed Bayou 

Courtableu’s connection to the Atchafalaya, 

which had historically supplied fresh water to the region via the bayou. The Tech-Vermillion project 

restores this connection and supplies fresh water to the region for irrigation, agriculture, drinking 

water, water quality, fishermen and the environment. The project also deters saltwater intrusion and 

keeps the region from depleting its groundwater supply because it allows for the use of surface 

water. The project keeps the people of the region from having to compromise between flood 

protection and fresh water, without either of which the local economy would be devastated and 

the region largely uninhabitable. With the project, the people of the Acadiana region can continue 

to live and thrive in what is the historic heart of French Louisiana.

Low-Water Inspection Trip

Site Visits and Inspections

Front back left : Brig. Gen. Paul Owen, Hon. Sam 

Angel, Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser, Dr. Norma Jean 

Mattei, Maj. Gen. Mark Toy, Rear Adm. Shepard 

Smith, Hon. Jim Reeder and Col. Robert Hilliard

MRC members and staff visit the Teche-Vermillion Pumping 

Station in Krotz Springs, Louisiana
15

As part of the 400 Session, the Mississippi River Commission hosted roundtable and panel 

discussions to facilitate a deeper dialogue among its 

partners, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff and the 

commission on key issues and challenges confronting those 

who live, work and prosper along the Mississippi River.

Aug. 20, Wilson, Arkansas

Commission members, Assistant Secretary of the Army for 

Civil Works R.D. James, Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Todd 

Semonite, Memphis District Commander Mike Ellicott and 

commission staff joined partners from the St. Francis Basin 

Levee District of Arkansas and the Mississippi Valley Flood 

Control Association to discuss the various challenges they 

face. Both James and Semonite spoke at the meeting and 

communicated what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is 

doing to address their concerns and listened to partners’ 

ideas for policy changes to help more effectively manage 

flood control challenges in the region.

Aug. 23, Krotz Springs to Morgan City, Louisiana

Commission members, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James and staff 

met with more than 80 partners from south Louisiana aboard the motor vessel MISSISSPPI to 

discuss the various challenges facing the region. Partners expressed particular concern with 

the 408 permitting process; unrealistic levee standards under the Levee Safety Program and 

Levee Safety Action Committee; coastal and wetlands loss; and the need for continued 

funding at high levels to complete various 

projects and to dredge ports and 

harbors. 

Partners from Terrebonne and Lafourche 

parishes communicated concern 

regarding recent increases in the cost 

estimates for the Morganza to the Gulf 

hurricane protection system and the 

potential for the high price tag to deter 

completion of the project. Congress 

authorized the project in the Water 

Resources Development Act of 2007 with 

a price tag of less than $1 billion; however, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers redesigned 

the project using new construction standards after levee and wall failures in New 

Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The redesign increased the estimated cost of the 

project to more than $10 billion.

Low-Water Inspection Trip

Partnering Sessions

Hon. Sam Angel speaking with partners

Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite (center) with 

members of the St. Francis Basin Levee 

District of Arkansas

Col. Mike Clancy, New Orleans District commander, speaks to 

partners in the public hearing room onboard the motor vessel 

MISSISSIPPI.
16

What We Heard

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 20)

MORGAN CITY, LA (Aug. 24)

 Coastal restoration

 Focus less on process and more on 

results

 Invest in inland waterways

 Complete the MR&T project

 Levee ratings and levee safety 

action classification ratings

High-water trip: Public hearings were held at New Madrid, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Greenville, 

Mississippi; and New Orleans, Louisiana. Approximately 300 members of the public attended the 

meetings and listened to testimony presented by 60 individual speakers.

Low-water trip: Public hearings were held at Caruthersville, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Vicksburg, 

Mississippi; and Morgan City, Louisiana. Approximately 400 members of the public attended the 

meetings and listened to testimony presented by 57 individual speakers.

Mississippi River Commission hearings are held in accordance with Section 8 of the 1928 Flood 

Control Act:

“Sec.8....The commission shall make inspection trips of such frequency and duration as will enable 

it to acquire first-hand information as to conditions and problems germane to the matter of flood 

control within the area of its jurisdiction; and on such trips of inspection ample opportunity for 

hearings and suggestions shall be afforded persons affected by or interested in such problems.”

The hearings, engagements and dialogue help maintain a consistent connection - an exchange of 

viewpoints and ideas among the public, partners, stakeholders, elected officials, the Mississippi River 

Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and agencies from the private, state and federal 

sectors. This process provides a greater voice for those who live and work in the region in shaping 

federal management and policy of the river.

MEMPHIS, TN 

(April 17 & Aug. 21)

Ÿ St. John’s Bayou – New 

Madrid Floodway

Ÿ Water supply and aquifer 

depletion

Ÿ Focus less on process and 

more on results

Ÿ Invest in inland waterways

Ÿ Complete the MR&T project

Ÿ Dredge ports and harbors

Ÿ Public Law 84-99 & levee 

safety

GREENVILLE, MS (April 18)

VICKSBURG, MS (Aug. 22)

 Yazoo Basin backwater pump

 Channel aggradation

 Water supply and aquifer depletion

 Focus less on process and more on 

results

 Invest in inland waterways

 Complete the MR&T project

NEW MADRID, MO (April 16)

CARUTHERSVILLE, MO (Aug. 20)

 St. John’s Bayou – New Madrid 

Floodway

 Focus less on process and more 

on results

 Invest in inland waterways

 Complete the MR&T project

 Comprehensive flood control for 

upper Mississippi River valley

High-Water & Low-Water Inspection Trips

Public Meetings
17

FOCUS LESS ON PROCESS AND MORE ON RESULTS

 Stop wasting money cutting through red tape and 

start moving dirt.

 Overregulation prevents projects from reaching 

completion, stunts economic growth and puts the 

U.S. at a global disadvantage (408 and 404 

permitting, Federal Flood Risk Management 

Standards, National Levee Safety Program, Waters 

of the United States and National Environmental 

Policy Act process).

 Regulatory and environmental processes must be 

streamlined to ensure federal dollars are spent on 

projects, not process.

INVEST IN INLAND WATERWAYS NAVIGATION SYSTEM

 The greater Mississippi Basin is the “middle coast” 

that connects the nation’s vast interior to the world 

and drives the economy. We must invest in this 

system and provide consistent funding for dredging 

and maintenance.

 Funding to dredge small ports: small ports have a 

symbiotic relationship with large ports; economically 

support communities across the region; and are 

essential for the U.S. to remain globally competitive.

 Flood control and navigation are symbiotic; you 

cannot have efficient commerce without a reliable 

waterway system.

COMPLETE THE MR&T PROJECT

 The system is not complete and cannot perform its 

authorized function of passing the project design 

flood.

 Adequate funding ($500 million per year) is essential 

to complete the project and for annual 

maintenance of the system.

COMPREHENSIVE FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT FOR THE 

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY

 Citizens of the upper valley request passage and 

funding of a comprehensive flood control project. 

Delaying a project will only lead to billions of 

additional damages to the region and prolonged 

and costly levee wars.

YAZOO BASIN BACKWATER PUMP

 Congress authorized backwater flood protection 77 

years ago and residents of the Mississippi South Delta 

are still waiting.

 450,000 acres, including 170,000 acres of farmland, 

flooded during the 2018 flood.

 Floods damage trees, wildlife and the environment.

 The Yazoo Basin backwater area is the ONLY

backwater area in the MR&T system without a 

pump.

WATER SUPPLY-AQUIFER DEPLETION

 Partners want water supply added as a U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers mission.

 Aquifer depletion can lead to saltwater intrusion, a 

lack of clean drinking water, and the crippling of 

agricultural industry critical to the regional economy.

CHANNEL AGGRADATION

 Siltation in the Mississippi River between Natchez, 

Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is causing 

the batture land (unprotected lands on the river side 

of levee) to be underwater more frequently and for 

a longer duration.

ST. JOHN’S BAYOU – NEW MADRID FLOODWAY

 Our partners request the completion of the St. John’s 

Bayou-New Madrid Floodway project.

 Congress authorized a project to close the 1,500-foot 

levee in 1954 and a pump in 1986, but locals have 

been flooded more than 20 times while waiting for 

the flood protection they were promised.

COASTAL LOSS AND RESTORATION

 Southeast Louisiana is losing approximately 25 square 

miles of coastal wetlands each year due to coastal 

erosion and subsidence.

 Losses impact the environment, cause saltwater 

intrusion and negatively impact industries that are 

vital to the economy (oil and gas, commercial 

fisheries and waterborne commerce).

 Our partners support solutions such as the beneficial 

use of dredge material and sediment diversions to 

rebuild and restore wetlands.

LEVEE STANDARDS AND RATINGS

 The Levee Safety Action Classification, P.L. 84-99 and 

Levee Safety Program set unrealistic expectations 

and unachievable maintenance standards for 

levees.

 Using language such as “acceptable” and 

“minimally acceptable” inaccurately 

communicates to the people living under the 

protection of these levees that levees are 

substandard and deters investment and 

development of the local economy.

 The levee ratings changed from "outstanding" to 

"acceptable" then "minimally acceptable" and now 

"unacceptable." Our partners would like to see the 

language changed to accurately reflect the level of 

protection provided by these levees.

High-Water & Low-Water Inspection Trips

Public Meetings: What We Heard
18

AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

 Delta Council

 Delta F.A.R.M.

 Farmers Grain Terminal 

 First Grain

 Global Economic Development Consulting

 GNG Farm Partnership

 Illinois Farm Bureau

 Lake Mary Planting Company

 Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation

 Rye Development

BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURING

 Brice Civil Construction

 Danos

 GIS Engineering

 J.M. Jones Lumber Co.

 Lion Oil Refinery

 Marathon Petroleum Company

 Mississippi Valley Associated General Contractors

 Southern Delta Construction Company

 South Central Industrial Association

 Tropicana Casino

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

 Mississippi State University

 Presbyterian Day School, Memphis, TN

 Quaternary Resource Investigation

 University of Memphis-Center of Earthquake 

Research

 The Water Institute of the Gulf

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, RECREATION AND 

TOURISM

 Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

 Audubon Society

 Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana 

 Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

 Great Rivers Habitat Alliance

 Grenada Lake Champion

 Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation

 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

 Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee

 The Nature Conservancy

 Okanashoba Chickasaw Tribe, TN

 Sierra Club

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FLOOD CONTROL

 Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana

 Atchafalaya Basin Levee District, LA

 Atchafalaya Levee Board, LA

 Bigger Pie Forum, MS

 Bossier Levee District, LA

 Consolidated Drainage District No. 1, MO

 Cotton Belt Levee District, AR

 Des Moines & Mississippi Levee District No. 1, MO

 Drainage District No. 7, MO

 Dyer County Levee & Drainage District No. 1, TN 

 Elk Chute Drainage District, MO

 Fulton County Levee Board, KY

 Fifth Louisiana Levee District, LA

 Horn Lake Creek Drainage District, MS

 Laconia Levee District, AR

 Lake County Levee Board, TN

 Levee District No. 3, MO

 Little River Drainage District, MO

 Mississippi Levee Board, MS

 Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association

 Neighbors of the Mississippi

 North Lafourche Levee District, LA

 South Lafourche Levee District, LA

 Pointe Coupee Parish Drainage District, LA

 Sny Island Drainage District, IL

 Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West

 St. Francis Levee District, MO

 St. Francis Levee District, AR

 St. Francis Drainage District, AR

 St. Johns Levee and Drainage District, MO

 St. Mary Levee District, LA

 Tensas Basin Levee District, LA

 Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, LA

 Yazoo Mississippi Delta Levee Board, MS

PORTS AND HARBORS

 City of Hickman/Fulton County Riverport Authority, 

KY

 Claiborne County Port Commission, MS

 Greenville Port Commission, MS

 Hickman Riverport, KY

 Madison Parish Port, LA

 Memphis and Shelby County Port Commission, TN

 Mississippi County Port Authority, MO

 New Madrid County Port Authority, MO

 Plaquemines Port, LA

 Port of Greenville, MS

 Port of Iberia, LA

 Port of Krotz Springs, LA

 Port of Memphis, TN

 Port of Morgan City, LA

 Port of Pointe Coupee Commission, LA

 Rosedale-Bolivar County Port Commission, MS

 Terrebonne Port Commission

 Terrebonne Port, LA

 Yazoo County Port Commission, MS

High-Water & Low-Water Inspection Trips

Partners Engaged
19

RIVER BASIN ASSOCIATIONS

 Acadiana Planning Commission 

 Amite River Basin, LA

 Arkansas Waterways Commission

 Delta Regional Authority

 Greater Lafourche Port Commission

 Lower Mississippi River Subbasin Committee

 Ouachita River Valley Association, LA & AR

 Red River Valley Association

 Red River Waterway Commission

 West Tennessee River Basin Authority

 White River Coalition, AR

RIVER INDUSTRY

 American Commercial Barge Line 

 American River Transportation Company

 American Waterways Operators

 Arkansas Waterways Commission

 Big River Coalition

 Bollinger Shipyards

 Campbell Transportation Company

 Canal Barge Line Company

 Central Boat Rentals

 Conrad Shipyard

 Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association

 Ingram Barge Company

 JB Marine Services

 Kirby Inland Marine

 Marquette Transportation Company

 Marquis Management Group

 River Industry Executive Task Force

 Turn Services

WATER SUPPLY / WATER MANAGEMENT ENTITIES

 Bayou Meto Water Management District

 Boeuf-Tensas Irrigation Water Distribution District, LA 

& AR

 Sparta Groundwater Commission

 Teche-Vermillion Fresh Water District, LA

 Union County Water Conservation Board, AR

 Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management 

District, MS

MAYORS, PARISH PRESIDENTS & ELECTED OFFICIALS

 Governor Asa Hutchinson, AR (Allison Williams)

 Louisiana Senator Francis Thompson 

 Mayor Steve Birch, Sikeston, MO

 Mayor Richard Bodi, New Madrid, MO

 Mayor David Carmardelle, Grand Isle, LA

 Mayor Tyrone Coleman, Cairo, IL

 Mayor Londell Eanochs, Fayette, MS

 Mayor Chuck Espy, Clarksdale, MS

 Mayor Sue Grantham, Caruthersville, MO

 Mayor Frank Hash, El Dorado, AR

 Mayor Denny Johnson, Lake County, TN

 Mayor Allen Latimer, Horn Lake, MS

 Mayor David Lattus, Hickman, KY

 Mayor Benny McGuire, Obion County, TN

 Mayor Frank Reeves, Port Gibson, MS

 Mayor Errick Simmons, Greenville, MS

 Mississippi Senator Albert Butler

 Mississippi Senator Briggs Hopson

 St. Landry Parish President, Bill Fontenot, LA

 Terrebonne Parish President, Reggie Dupree, LA

STATE & LOCAL AGENCIES

 Acadiana Planning Commission

 La. Dept. of Transportation and Development

 Louisiana Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities

 Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security 

and Emergency Preparedness 

 Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

 Miss. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks 

 Mississippi Department of Transportation

 New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and 

Emergency Preparedness

 Sikeston Regional Chamber of Commerce

FEDERAL AGENCIES

 Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council

 Maritime Administration

 U.S. Coast Guard

 U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 Rep. Steve Cohen, TN-9 (Rick Maynard)

 Rep. Rick Crawford, AR-1

 Rep. Garret Graves, LA-6 (John Lombardo)

 Rep. Gregg Harper, MS-3 (Chip Reynolds and Patrick 

Seale)

 Rep. Trent Kelly, MS-1 (Walt Starr)

 Rep. David Kustoff, TN-8 (Ed Jackson)

 Rep. Jason Smith, MO-8 (Kyle Aubuchon and Leslie 

Herbst)

U.S. SENATE

 Sen. Lamar Alexander, TN (Chris Connolly)

 Sen. Roy Blunt, MO (Darren Lingle and Caroline 

Yeilding)

 Sen. John Boozman, AR (Chase Emerson and Gene 

Higginbotham)

 Sen. Bill Cassidy, LA (Michael Eby and Angela 

Robert) 

 Sen, Cindy Hyde-Smith, MS (Gregory Alston, Bill 

Crump and Umesh Sanjanwala)

 Sen. John Kennedy, LA (Jay McNair)

 Sen. Claire McCaskill, MO (Christy Mercer)

 Sen. Rand Paul, KY (Christina Peterson)

High-Water & Low-Water Inspection Trips

Partners Engaged
20