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Fate of on-again, off-again Yazoo Pumps expected by December despite no price tag

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ROLLING FORK — For years, the fate of a project known as the Yazoo Pumps has bounced back and forth in a game of political ping pong. Now, with a retooled pumps proposal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inching closer to a new flood control plan for the South Delta.

Partnering agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, which vetoed the Yazoo Pumps in 2008 under President George W. Bush, are still studying the draft environmental impact statement that the Corps released in June. The EPA vetoed the project in part because of its impact on the area’s ecologically significant wetlands, a point that conservationists around the country have continued to argue amid attempts to resurrect the pumps project.

The June draft EIS, which the Corps says it collaborated on with the EPA, proposes slightly less aggressive pumping than in the 2008 version in addition to buyouts for property owners in the floodplain. The proposal also limits the pumps’ operation to a certain stretch of the year, aiming to balance the needs of the wetlands with those of local farmers.

The agency held its first in-person public meetings for the report on Monday in Rolling Fork. The public has until Aug. 12 to submit comments (click here for the report and instructions for submitting comments). The Corps’ timeline suggests it will have a final EIS by November, and then a final decision in December from the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor.

A Corps public meeting in Rolling Fork to discuss the latest flood control options for the Yazoo Backwater area on July 22, 2024. Credit: Alex Rozier, Mississippi Today

Most of those who came to give their thoughts on Monday supported what the Corps laid out despite the added restrictions on the pumps’ operation.

“You’ve heard a lot of people say turn the pumps on at a lower elevation, turn them on earlier,” said Peter Nimrod, chief engineer for the Mississippi Levee Board and a supporter of the Yazoo Pumps for years. “We completely agree, but if this is all we’ve got, we’ll take it. It’s a great project.”

The June study proposes turning the pumps on when the backwater reaches 90 feet of elevation (from sea level), as opposed to the 87-foot starting point the 2008 version had. The new study also suggests two options for when to allow the pumps to run: One is from March 15 until Oct. 15, and the other from March 25 until Oct. 15. Those windows are meant to give the wetlands enough time to absorb rain during the winter while also allowing farmers time to plant their crops.

The report details that about 1,800 structures, about half of which are homes, would see some flooding if there were a repeat of the 2019 events.

In the proposal, the 101 structures, including 55 homes, that are in the 90-foot flood level zone would have mandatory buyouts. The Corps estimates that those buildings flood about every two years. There would also be a voluntary buyout or floodproofing option for 231 more structures, 95 of which are homes, that are between the 90-foot and 93-foot levels, or the five-year floodplain. There are another 1,500 or so structures, including 759 homes, that would have flooded in 2019 and would see some flood risk benefits from the pumps, the report says.

Most of the structures that would be affected, either through buyouts or flood reduction, are between Eagle Bend and Rolling Fork, as seen in the map below:

A map included in the Corps’ draft EIS released in June, 2024.

In addition to the pumps proposal, the June report also lays out a “non-structural” alternative, which wouldn’t include the pumps and extend the option of voluntary buyouts to the roughly 1,500 structures beyond the 93-foot level.

Of the dozen or so people who gave comments on Monday night, just one talked about the merits of that option.

“There are people who lost their homes, there are people who are still living in the flood areas who don’t have the resources to move, so I think (the non-structural) option lends itself to those individuals,” said Anthony White, a teacher in Sharkey County, adding that the job opportunities in agriculture aren’t what they used to be because of growing farm technology.

While the agency is expecting a final decision on the project in December, the June report left out crucial details, namely how much the different proposals would cost. Critics have long said the cost of building the pumps far exceeds that of non-structural, less ecologically-invasive options, such as buying out or floodproofing homes, or paying landowners through conservation easement programs. But the June study is entirely missing a cost-benefit analysis, a common tool the agency uses to evaluate potential projects.

“We’re still working on the benefits and costs,” said Robyn Colosimo, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Project Planning and Review, adding that the final EIS in November will include some of those details.

Farm equipment is nearly submerged in flood water in north Issaquena County, Miss., Friday, April 5, 2019. Credit: Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/Report For America

The 2008 version came with a $220 million price tag, but that number appears to be far below what the project would cost today. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who represents the South Delta and who has come around on the pumps idea after previously not supporting the idea, has estimated in recent years that the number is around half a billion dollars. American Rivers, an advocacy and conservation group opposing the pumps, estimates the price is actually more than double that.

The South Delta’s flooding issues trace back to the flood control work the Corps has done over the last century along the Mississippi River. In the 1960s and 70s, the agency built the Steele Bayou control structure as well as the Yazoo Backwater levee along the Yazoo River. When the Mississippi River reaches a certain flood stage, the Corps closes the control structure, which is a set of gates, to prevent river water from backing up into the South Delta.

The problem, which was most pronounced in the record-setting flood of 2019, comes when flooding from the river happens at the same time as flooding from rainfall north of the gates. With the gates closed, the rainfall landing in between the levees along the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers has nowhere to go.

After the 2019 flood, Delta residents, farmers, and statewide elected officials have amplified their calls for the federal government to carry the pumps project across the finish line. The astonishing inundation hit over 500,000 acres, and for some areas lasted about half the year. In some parts, the flooding forced locals in some parts to commute via boat just to get from their house to their car. State officials estimated that the catastrophe cost the Mississippi agricultural industry half a billion dollars.

In the years since, the EPA has repeatedly switched its stance on the Yazoo Pumps. During the end of the Trump administration, the EPA decided to exempt the project from the 2008 veto, citing a slightly different project design. The new proposal also introduced data suggesting that the wetlands were more reliant on rainfall during the winter months than the floodwater that the pumps would be used for.

A home is nearly is surrounded by flood water in Issaquena County Friday, April 5, 2019. Credit: Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/Report For America

The agency changed courses yet again in 2021 under the Biden administration, restoring the 2008 veto. But last year, after pressure from top Mississippi officials like Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Corps and EPA came together to draft a new pumps proposal, which is what appears in the June report.

Of the two pump options presented (one from March 15 to Oct. 15, and the other from March 25 to Oct. 15), farmers in attendance Monday night preferred the March 15 option because it would allow them to plant crops earlier.

Reid Carter, a farmer in Rolling Fork, explained that even the earlier option could leave farmers struggling during the start of the season.

“March (15th) is early to middle corn planting season,” Carter said. “And with the pumps being turned on on that date, they said it’d take three to six weeks (for the pumps to drain the floodwater), which is still a lot of time.”

While not at Monday night’s event, conservation groups have remained vocal against any pumps project. Earlier this year, American Rivers again listed the Big Sunflower and Yazoo rivers on its “Most Endangered Rivers,” writing that the pumps would result in “an astounding loss of critical habitat that cannot be reasonably mitigated.”

After the news last year that the EPA and Corps were taking another look at the Yazoo Pumps, several groups blasted the decision in a press release.

“We are stunned that the Biden administration would choose to advance a plan that abdicates its conservation, climate, and environmental justice commitments by willfully putting the vetoed Yazoo Pumps back on the table,” Jill Mastrototaro, Mississippi Policy director for Audubon Delta, said in a press release last year.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

1964: Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was formed

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mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-26 07:00:00

April 26, 1964

Aaron Henry testifies before the Credentials Committee at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Civil rights activists started the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to challenge the state’s all-white regular delegation to the Democratic National Convention. 

The regulars had already adopted this resolution: “We oppose, condemn and deplore the Civil Rights Act of 1964 … We believe in separation of the races in all phases of our society. It is our belief that the separation of the races is necessary for the peace and tranquility of all the people of Mississippi, and the continuing good relationship which has existed over the years.” 

In reality, Black Mississippians had been victims of intimidation, harassment and violence for daring to try and vote as well as laws passed to disenfranchise them. As a result, by 1964, only 6% of Black Mississippians were permitted to vote. A year earlier, activists had run a mock election in which thousands of Black Mississippians showed they would vote if given an opportunity. 

In August 1964, the Freedom Party decided to challenge the all-white delegation, saying they had been illegally elected in a segregated process and had no intention of supporting President Lyndon B. Johnson in the November election. 

The prediction proved true, with white Mississippi Democrats overwhelmingly supporting Republican candidate Barry Goldwater, who opposed the Civil Rights Act. While the activists fell short of replacing the regulars, their courageous stand led to changes in both parties.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Mississippi River flooding Vicksburg, expected to crest on Monday

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mississippitoday.org – @alxrzr – 2025-04-25 16:04:00

Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer said Friday floodwaters from the Mississippi River, which have reached homes in and around Vicksburg, will likely persist until early May. Elfer estimated there areabout 15 to 20 roads underwater in the area.

A truck sits in high water after the owner parked, then boated to his residence on Chickasaw Road in Vicksburg as a rising Mississippi River causes backwater flooding, Friday, April 25, 2025.

“We’re about half a foot (on the river gauge) from a major flood,” he said. “But we don’t think it’s going to be like in 2011, so we can kind of manage this.”

The National Weather projects the river to crest at 49.5 feet on Monday, making it the highest peak at the Vicksburg gauge since 2020. Elfer said some residents in north Vicksburg — including at the Ford Subdivision as well as near Chickasaw Road and Hutson Street — are having to take boats to get home, adding that those who live on the unprotected side of the levee are generally prepared for flooding.

A rising Mississippi River causing backwater flooding near Chickasaw Road in Vicksburg, Friday, April 25, 2025.
Old tires aligned a backyard as a deterrent to rising water north of Vicksburg along U.S. 61, Friday, April 25, 2025.
As the Mississippi River rises, backwater flooding creeps towards a home located on Falk Steel Road in Vicksburg, Friday, April 25, 2025.

“There are a few (inundated homes), but we’ve mitigated a lot of them,” he said. “Some of the structures have been torn down or raised. There are a few people that still live on the wet side of the levee, but they kind of know what to expect. So we’re not too concerned with that.”

The river first reached flood stage in the city — 43 feet — on April 14. State officials closed Highway 465, which connects the Eagle Lake community just north of Vicksburg to Highway 61, last Friday.

Flood waters along Kings Point Road in Vicksburg, Friday, April 25, 2025.

Elfer said the areas impacted are mostly residential and he didn’t believe any businesses have been affected, emphasizing that downtown Vicksburg is still safe for visitors. He said Warren County has worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to secure pumps and barriers.

“Everybody thus far has been very cooperative,” he said. “We continue to tell people stay out of the flood areas, don’t drive around barricades and don’t drive around road close signs. Not only is it illegal, it’s dangerous.”

NWS projects the river to stay at flood stage in Vicksburg until May 6. The river reached its record crest of 57.1 feet in 2011.

The boat launch area is closed and shored up on Levee Street in Vicksburg as the Mississippi River rises, Friday, April 25, 2025.
The boat launch area (right) is closed and under water on Levee Street in Vicksburg as the Mississippi River rises, Friday, April 25, 2025.
City of Vicksburg workers shore up the bank along Levee Street as the Mississippi River rises, Friday, April 25, 2025.
The old pedestrian bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Friday, April 25, 2025.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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With domestic violence law, victims ‘will be a number with a purpose,’ mother says

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mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-25 15:07:00

Joslin Napier. Carlos Collins. Bailey Mae Reed. 

They are among Mississippi domestic violence homicide victims whose family members carried their photos as the governor signed a bill that will establish a board to study such deaths and how to prevent them. 

Tara Gandy, who lost her daughter Napier in Waynesboro in 2022, said it’s a moment she plans to tell her 5-year-old grandson about when he is old enough. Napier’s presence, in spirit, at the bill signing can be another way for her grandson to feel proud of his mother. 

“(The board) will allow for my daughter and those who have already lost their lives to domestic violence … to no longer be just a number,” Gandy said. “They will be a number with a purpose.” 

Family members at the April 15 private bill signing included Ashla Hudson, whose son Collins, died last year in Jackson. Grandparents Mary and Charles Reed and brother Colby Kernell attended the event in honor of Bailey Mae Reed, who died in Oxford in 2023. 

Joining them were staff and board members from the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the statewide group that supports shelters and advocated for the passage of Senate Bill 2886 to form a Domestic Violence Facility Review Board. 

The law will go into effect July 1, and the coalition hopes to partner with elected officials who will make recommendations for members to serve on the board. The coalition wants to see appointees who have frontline experience with domestic violence survivors, said Luis Montgomery, public policy specialist for the coalition. 

A spokesperson from Gov. Tate Reeves’ office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Establishment of the board would make Mississippi the 45th state to review domestic violence fatalities. 

Montgomery has worked on passing a review board bill since December 2023. After an unsuccessful effort in 2024, the coalition worked to build support and educate people about the need for such a board. 

In the recent legislative session, there were House and Senate versions of the bill that unanimously passed their respective chambers. Authors of the bills are from both political parties. 

The review board is tasked with reviewing a variety of documents to learn about the lead up and circumstances in which people died in domestic violence-related fatalities, near fatalities and suicides – records that can include police records, court documents, medical records and more. 

From each review, trends will emerge and that information can be used for the board to make recommendations to lawmakers about how to prevent domestic violence deaths. 

“This is coming at a really great time because we can really get proactive,” Montgomery said. 

Without a board and data collection, advocates say it is difficult to know how many people have died or been injured in domestic-violence related incidents.

A Mississippi Today analysis found at least 300 people, including victims, abusers and collateral victims, died from domestic violence between 2020 and 2024. That analysis came from reviewing local news stories, the Gun Violence Archive, the National Gun Violence Memorial, law enforcement reports and court documents. 

Some recent cases the board could review are the deaths of Collins, Napier and Reed. 

In court records, prosecutors wrote that Napier, 24, faced increased violence after ending a relationship with Chance Fabian Jones. She took action, including purchasing a firearm and filing for a protective order against Jones.

Jones’s trial is set for May 12 in Wayne County. His indictment for capital murder came on the first anniversary of her death, according to court records. 

Collins, 25, worked as a nurse and was from Yazoo City. His ex-boyfriend Marcus Johnson has been indicted for capital murder and shooting into Collins’ apartment. Family members say Collins had filed several restraining orders against Johnson. 

Johnson was denied bond and remains in jail. His trial is scheduled for July 28 in Hinds County.  

He was a Jackson police officer for eight months in 2013. Johnson was separated from the department pending disciplinary action leading up to immediate termination, but he resigned before he was fired, Jackson police confirmed to local media. 

Reed, 21, was born and raised in Michigan and moved to Water Valley to live with her grandparents and help care for her cousin, according to her obituary. 

Kylan Jacques Phillips was charged with first degree murder for beating Reed, according to court records. In February, the court ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial, according to court documents. 

At the bill signing, Gandy said it was bittersweet and an honor to meet the families of other domestic violence homicide victims.

“We were there knowing we are not alone, we can travel this road together and hopefully find ways to prevent and bring more awareness about domestic violence,” she said.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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