2018 DEIS Public Comments and Resolutions
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"If the predicted scour depths occur, there will be catastrophic failure of all seven of the main channel bridges mentioned above and the capacity of the relief bridges on SR 25 will be severely reduced. For this reason, all nine bridges will need to be replaced and the cost to replace the nine bridges should be reflected in the cost of the Pearl River Federal Flood Risk Management Project". Mississippi Department of Transportation comment letter, 2018
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"In regard to water quality impacts in general, MDEQ believes additional evaluation should be done to consider how the proposed project would affect water quality downstream of the project area, including but not limited to changes in stream flow, changes in water availability, changes in velocities, frequency and duration of high/low flow events, and reaeration rates". Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality comment letter, Sept 2018
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"It would appear that the recommendations/comments from January 2007 and April 2018 are still in effect (further studies and potential mitigation work for specific locations prior to the initiation of disturbance activities). It should be stressed that the the number of eligible sites in the project area reflect current, existing knowledge. There is potential for additional eligible resources to be identified after recommended additional eligible cultural resources studies have been conducted in association with Section 106 responsibilities". MS Department of Archives and History comment letter, 2018
MS Department of Archives and History letter to Army Corps of Engineers, Jan, 2007 |
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"As currently presented in the EIS and planning documents the proposed tentatively selected plan, while containing some environmental features and proposed mitigation, is the most environmental damaging plan. Overall, greater details regarding plan formulation, design, operation, mitigation, and adaptive management should be presented in another draft of the EIS prior to finalizing." US Fish & Wildlife Service, comment letter, Aug 2018
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"The Mississippi Sound area (i.e. Half-moon Island/Grassy Island/Petit Island/Grand Banks), which is currently productive for oysters, depends on freshwater from the Pearl River to thrive. The addition of impoundments along the watershed have the effect of delaying seasonal river cycles, reducing range of flows, and reducing overall flow, all of which may impact estuarine resources. Changes to the timing and volume of river inputs into the estuary could affect the crucial balance of a system that currently provides an excellent habitat for oysters, as well as a variety of fish, shrimp, crabs and other organisms in both Mississippi and Louisiana state waters, which support important fisheries for both states." State of Louisiana, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, comment letter, 2018
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"I have heard from many of my constituents about this highly controversial project who have highlighted a multitude of serious, unresolved economic and environmental issues that demonstrate its fiscal imprudence and destructive nature. Based on this information, including the fact that the Drainage District is not fully complying with federal law, I strongly object to One Lake and urge the Corps to reject this project". Congressman Bennie G. Thompson letter of August 27, 2018 to Vicksburg Corps of Engineers
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"Therefore, be it resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express its opposition to the "One Lake" project that proposes to dam the Pearl River and build a fifteen hundred-acre lake near Jackson, Mississippi, and urge and request the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, to deny the pending permit application for the proposed "One Lake" project." 2018 Regular Session, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 5 by Senators Mizell, Hewitt, and Peacock and Representatives Cromer, Pearson, and White
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Lower Pearl River Basin Task Force Comment to Draft EIS, Part 1
Lower Pearl River Basin Task Force Comment to Draft EIS, Part 2
Lower Pearl River Basin Task Force Comment to Draft EIS, Part 2
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Washington Parish passed Resolution 18-842, Opposing the One Lake Project on January 22, 2018. Quoted in the Bogalusa Daily News, Washington Parish Councilman Perry Talley said, "One of Washington Parish's greatest resources is the Pearl River system. It is an integral element to our past, present and future. While it is a resource to be utilized, it is also a jewel to be cherished and preserved."
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St. Tammany Parish objected to "Two Lakes" and "One Lake"by Resolutions in 2008, 2013 and 2018.
"WHEREAS, the reduced flow of water and lowering of the oxygen content would jeopardize the efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the entire Pearl River Basin, the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area and the Honey Island Swamp; and WHEREAS, the reduction in flow of the Pearl River would adversely affect the Swamp Tour industry in the State of Louisiana" St. Tammany Parish Council 2018 "Resolution in Opposition to the Proposed Pearl River Dam/Lake Project in Jackson, MS |
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"The West Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish already experiences environmental consequences resulting from reduced flow being released from the Ross Barnett, specifically: quiescence, eutrophication and rooted macrophyte, shoaling, navigation impediments, saltwater intrusion into the River and shallow drinking water wells, loss of habitat, loss of commercial fisheries and risk from wasteload allocation (WLA) excursions from the International Paper (IP) mill in Bogalusa. All vulnerabilities result from lack of volume and reduced velocity from the headwaters during critical low flow months. Thus, additional headwater reductions are environmentally unacceptable." 2013 St. Tammany Parish Department of Engineering comments to the Draft EIS
2018 St. Tammany Parish comments |
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"Whereas, the Board of Supervisors of Hancock County, Mississippi, finds and determines it necessary and in the best interest of the people of said county and state to urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take whatever action is necessary to prohibit the construction of any further dams or lakes on the Pearl River" Hancock County Board of Supervisors resolution against the One Lake project
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"Now, therefore, be it hereby resolved, by the Board of Supervisors of Marion County, MS, that this Board does hereby oppose any proposed plan to dam the Pearl River south of Jackson, MS because of the detrimental effects it will have to people and property down stream, local ecology and economic development." Marion County Board of Supervisors resolution against the One Lake project
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On March 5, 2018, the Lawrence County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing the One Lake project.
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"Whereas, the reduced flow of water would lower the water table of the Pearl River south of the aforementioned One Lake project and would have a devastating impact on communities and properties downstream." Board of Supervisors of Pearl River County, MS resolution against the One Lake project
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On Jan 22, 2018, the Bogalusa City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing the One Lake project.
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The Mayor of Monticello, Martha Watts, was quoted in the Daily Leader, "We already lost 40 to 50 feet of river bank in 2016 when they closed the dams in Ross Barnett, and that's land we'll never get back." The Mayor believes that the One Lake project in Jackson could cause even more adverse affects to their Atwood Water Park. The Town of Monticello Board of Aldermen signed a resolution opposing the One Lake project on March 5, 2018.
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Resolution opposing the One Lake project signed October 16, 2018.
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The City of Slidell passed a resolution in opposition to the proposed Dam/Lake project in Jackson, MS by unanimous vote on June 26, 2018.
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"The Town of Pearl River hereby resolves to oppose the proposed plan to dam the Pearl River at Jackson, Mississippi because of the detrimental effects it will have to down river ecology and economic development." Town of Pearl River resolution of Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Feb 2018
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"The National Wildlife Federation urges the Corps of Engineers and the non-federal sponsor to reject the TSP and abandon the current study process. A meaningful consideration of a flood damage reduction project for the Pearl River requires development of a new and fundamentally different environmental impact statement that fully considers all potential impacts; evaluates all reasonable alternatives, and complies with Federal environmental laws and Corp of Engineers' planning requirements, including meaningful public notice and comment." National Wildlife Federation 2018 comment to DEIS
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"Abstract of the Aquatic Evaluation 2006 states that “the lake Habitat Suitability Index for facultative riverine species was more than 50% lower than for existing conditions”. The 2006 report also "indicates that obligate riverine species will become rare or extirpated from the project area after construction is completed. Habitat Units for the Facultative Riverine guild actually increased post-project but this was due to the increased water surface area of the lake, not increased habitat value. Major biological tradeoffs are evident with riverine species declining and lacustrine species increasing” by converting a river into a lake." Pearl Riverkeeper, 2018, DEIS comment
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"Through an examination of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), prepared by the Drainage District, it is manifestly evident that the TSP proposal to dredge the Pearl River and its banks to widen and impound the river at 258' above sea level with a weir creating a 1900 acre lake, fill and elevate 1861 acres of functioning wetlands is not an environmentally acceptable plan for flood control for Jackson Mississippi for the reasons listed below and therefore must be rejected in favor of less environmentally damaging alternatives." Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Sept 2018, DEIS Comment
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"In addition to the District’s failure to adequately analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to imperiled species, the Draft EIS is deficient in several other respects. These deficiencies include the lack of a reasonable range of alternatives for the public to consider, a failure to analyze the growth inducing impacts of the proposed project, and the lack of a mitigation plan to offset the impacts to the human environment."
"The DEIS fails to analyze the numerous impacts this project will have on several listed and otherwise imperiled species. These impacts will be both significant and long-term and in the case of species such as the ringed sawback and Pearl River map turtle, result in their local extirpation, thereby putting these species at grave risk of extinction. We urge the Corps not to approve the proposed project." Center for Biological Diversity, 2018, DEIS Comment |
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"The Mississippi Chapter Sierra Club is adamantly opposed to spending taxpayer dollars to finance private real estate development at the expense of our natural resources which is the sole origin for this project."
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"The structure may simply serve as a sediment trap to be infilled, and, much like the reservoir behind RDB is rapidly in-filling from upstream sediment, the proposed One Lake may be very short lived. If the feature acts as a sediment trap, it will also have downstream ramifications including impacting downstream aquatic habitats." The Nature Conservancy, 2018, DEIS Comment
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"LPBF encourages the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District to continue to consider alternatives that relocates levees and reconnects as much of the Pearl River to its floodplain. This would re-establish the natural capacity to absorb flood water without dredging and destruction of the forested wetlands and marshes that provide other critical ecosystem services." Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, 2018, DEIS Comment
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"We recognize that the Pearl River can be an asset for development, flood control, recreation and enjoyment of nature in the tri-county area; however, we support exploration of alternative proposals other than the One Lake project. We are interested in alternatives which are less expensive, create less damage to the environment, do not destroy existing habitat and recreational opportunities, are not irreversible and provide more public space."
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"On behalf of National Audubon Society, including two state offices, Audubon Louisiana and Audubon Mississippi (“Audubon”), who represent millions of members and supporters from around the country,we urge the Corps to reject a dubious, ecologically harmful civil works project locally known as 'OneLake'."
Audubon, Comment to DEIS, Sept 2018 |
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"WHEREAS the proposed lakes may cause increased river flooding and headcutting downstream of the Jackson Metropolitan Area in such locations as Monticello and Columbia, and
WHEREAS the proposed lakes will cause increased flash flooding during heavy rains in the Jackson Metropolitan Area as a result of higher water levels of tributary streams caused by impoundment of the Pearl River, resulting in flash flooding in areas of Jackson that have never flooded before, and WHEREAS the proposed lakes will act as a trap for urban runoff in the Jackson Metropolitan Area which will result in stagnant pools during seasonal low-flow periods with high levels of garbage and pollutants, including sewage, and said garbage will have to be removed at an unknown but presumably very high cost....." Jackson Audubon Society resolution passed by unanimous vote on March 8, 2018 |
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"WHEREAS, the One Lake proposal lacks scientific rigor, comprehensive modeling and technical analyses that are all essential components to fully and adequately assess impacts to environmental resources, public health, community interests, and economic sectors;" Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Aug 2019
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"Louisiana is currently in a battle against land loss that is affecting the people and industries that call the lower Pearl River Basin home. The fact that there is consideration for altering the Pearl River Watershed without considering the downstream affects is astounding. CRCL supports science-based decision-making. Simply put, this project is not based in science. It is a development project masquerading as a flood control project. It will benefit a small group of developers while hurting countless people and ecosystems downstream."
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, press release, Aug 2018 |
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American Rivers listed the Pearl River on its 2015 America's Most Endangered Rivers due to the potential destruction caused by the One Lake project: "Further changes to the amount and timing of freshwater discharge threaten coastal fisheries, especially the oyster industry. The Pearl River needs comprehensive restoration and natural flood protection strategies, not more outdated dam projects."
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"WHEREAS, One Lake poses significant, irreversible damages – directly, indirectly, and cumulatively – to the Pearl River, birds and their habitats; these ecological impacts go well beyond the immediate project footprint to include the downstream resources that lie along the 200-mile stretch of
the Pearl below the proposed dam as well as Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, and the Gulf; and WHEREAS, One Lake directly will destroy over 2,500 acres of habitat that supports Bald Eagles and several species of conservation priority songbirds, as well as a variety of fish and other wildlife; and WHEREAS, One Lake will eliminate or alter critical habitat for several federally threatened species like the Wood Stork, Gulf Sturgeon, Ringed Sawback (map) Turtle, and Northern Long-eared Bat, and for the endemic Pearl River Map Turtle; and WHEREAS, Audubon has identified several priority bird species that would be impacted in the One Lake project area, affected Pearl River Basin and downstream areas: Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Swallow-tailed Kite, Reddish Egret, Clapper Rail, and Wood Stork (Endangered); and WHEREAS, Audubon is concerned about One Lake’s impacts to Important Bird Areas (IBAs), including LeFleur’s Bluff State Park (MS), Hancock County Marsh Coastal Preserve (MS), East Delta Plain (LA), and Pearl River (LA; nominated); to which Audubon considers any impacts to IBAs unacceptable; and..." Orleans Audubon Society resolution adopted by Officers and Board of Directors on 28 May 2019. |
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"WHEREAS, the Pearl River with its diversity of birds, fish, wildlife, and their habitats, serves as a key environmental lynchpin of the region, and is recognized as one of the most intact river systems in
the southeast U.S.;" "WHEREAS, if the true goal is to address flooding problems – real or perceived - in the Pearl River Basin, there is a recognition that approaches to flood control have evolved over the past decades to now emphasize the use of natural infrastructure; however, the Drainage District has failed to prioritize, consider or employ these less ecologically damaging, more comprehensive flood control measures. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Mississippi Coast Audubon Society is wholly opposed to the One Lake Project." Mississippi Coast Audubon Society resolution passed by unanimous vote on April 2, 2019 |
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Challenges Facing the Oyster Industry, Threats to Success: "Contributing factors to insufficient water quantity included: alterations in the amount and natural fluctuation of freshwater inflow." Water Quantity Recommendations for Action or Research: "Discourage freshwater depleting projects and educate decision-makers on impacts of major freshwater depleting projects." The Mississippi Governor's Oyster Council Final Report, June 2015
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"The Louisiana Oyster Task Force, at its last meeting, discussed a project that could have a significant detrimental impact on Louisiana's oyster industry." "A new dam on the Pearl River will disrupt flows during construction and cause a permanent reduction in flow once in operation which will affect the Louisiana oyster industry as well as other Louisiana industries and natural resources. There are feasible and less costly alternatives for flood control such as levees and/or dry reservoirs that do not have such an effect on the lower Pearl." 2016 Louisiana Oyster Task Force letter to Secretary Thomas Harris
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"The Commission is opposed to the permitting or construction of any dam or weir that would further reduce the natural seasonal flows of freshwater into Mississippi's estuarine waters." "Significant financial harm to the State of Mississippi and its citizens would result from any further reduction to natural freshwater inflows to Mississippi's fragile estuarine areas. This harm impacts the commercial and recreational fishermen, natural and artificial reefs and the economy of the coast and State of Mississippi." Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources Resolution No. 01202015
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"In the Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, a detailed analysis was conducted by national and international science and engineering experts to determine the best way to address the catastrophic land loss and flood risk problem that affects Louisiana's coastal communities. As part of that analysis, projects were identified in and around the Pearl River Watershed to restore deteriorating marshes and provide structural protection against storm surges. Those projects involve creating wetlands that would be sustained by freshwater from the Pearl River.... Alternatives that alter the hydrology of the Pearl River may adversely impact these projects and existing wetlands, undermining Louisiana's ability to achieve a sustainable coast and protect our citizen's from storm surges in this region." Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority comment letter, 2013
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Pearl Riverkeeper asks that everyone make his or her own decision regarding the Pearl River Flood Risk Management project using sound science and engineering. We encourage the review and thorough analysis of all available information. We welcome comments and feedback. Please email Pearl Riverkeeper or visit our Facebook for comment space. Our publishing, or re-publishing, of anyone else's research or opinions is not an endorsement on our part of those conclusions.
