One Lake Alternative

One Lake Alternative: A Better Solution

Photo copyright Matt Parker

"Anyone who has explored the Pearl's moss-draped cypress swamps, paddled past its white sandbars, fished its ripples and pools or simply admired its serpentine course while banking to land at the Jackson airport knows it is already impressive in its own right - a surprisingly natural river flowing through the heart of an otherwise heavily developed urban area." Alan Huffman

The Pearl River Greenway

The logical alternative is a greenway linking existing nature preserves and parks and creating new ones to better utilize the river for recreation, tourism and outdoor-related development, coupled with a flood control alternative. A greenway would have greater potential to improve the region's quality of life in a sustainable way, for far less money and without sacrificing a river that is crucial to the environment far beyond Jackson.

Photo copyright John McClendon

The Pearl River Greenway could:

Promote tourism
Spark outdoor recreation business development
Ensure more diverse uses of outdoor recreation areas, including hiking, trail running, fishing, bird watching, nature photography, picnicking, camping, outdoor education, paddling and boating
Create more boat launches
Include canoe and kayak routes
Increase river fishing opportunities
Expand hiking, biking and walking trails from the Reservoir Spillway to the US 80 bridge
Provide accessible boardwalks through nature areas
Protect Mayes Lakes, LeFleur's Bluff State Park and the Fannye Cook Nature Preserve
Create more natural preserve
Protect water quality in the project area and downstream

Leverage on-going projects such as Jackson's Museum Trail, which will provide access to 3 public parks and 6 museums
Reconnect the City of Jackson to its natural resources
Protect designated Mississippi landmarks such as the original LeFleur's Bluff trading post site and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, listed in the National Register
Preserve historic Civil War sites such as the location of the old railroad bridge used as a Union prison
Prevent destruction of multiple Native American sites eligible for the National Register
Provide interpretive signs about these locations
Allow for new park development on City of Jackson property easily accessible from downtown and the Commerce Street entertainment district as well as the State Fairgrounds
Have no negative impact on operation of the Ross Barnett Reservoir
Be built in tandem with less environmentally damaging flood control alternatives such as levees and flood plain buyouts

Mississippi's Outdoor Recreation Plan 2015-2019

Making Strides is Mississippi's 2015-2019 comprehensive outdoor recreation plan

Making Strides guides the development of Mississippi's outdoor recreation resources. Their projects will strive to achieve one or more of the following goals:

Improve the health and wellness of Mississippians
Expand the paths and trails network
Establish a stronger sense of place for Mississippi communities
Strengthen the promotion of outdoor recreation
Enhance the economy through ecotourism

The development of the Mississippi Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) included input from Mississippi residents in the form of citizen surveys. In the Park and Program Usage section of the survey reported, 87.9% of respondents chose Enjoy Being Outdoors for the reason you and your family participate in park activities. Respondents first choice of "Would Like to Participate" activities was Hiking and Trails and second choice was Canoeing, Kayaking, Rafting, Tubing. When asked "Do you travel outside MS to use other parks", over half of the respondents said yes, with "access to rivers for kayaking and canoeing" mentioned as a reason for travel. The Pearl River is an untapped resource right in our own backyard. The Pearl River Greenway could achieve all of the goals of the Making Strides program and provide numerous recreational opportunities for Mississippi residents and for tourists.

$4.9 B
Contribution of Outdoor Recreation to
Mississippi's Economy
58,000
Jobs Supported by Outdoor Recreation in Mississippi
36%
Rate of Adult Obesity in Mississippi
$925 M
Mississippi's 2008 Healthcare Expenditures Related to Obesity

"It is important for Mississippi residents to provide future generations with natural environment within the state. Landscapes that are minimally impacted and recreationally enjoyable. Natural areas facilitate multiple uses, including outdoor recreation as well as storm surge protection, tourism and habitat." Making Strides SCORP

Flood Plain Buyouts

"Floodplain acquisitions allow local governments to move people out of harm’s way and reduce the risk of future structural damage and associated disaster recovery costs in the flood-prone area. Once properties are acquired and structures are removed, communities can also benefit by converting acquired land to parks and other community amenities or restoring ecosystems for water quality, flood resilience, and habitat benefits" Environmental Law Institute

Pearl Riverkeeper asks that everyone make his or her own decision regarding the One Lake 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.