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Mississippi River Commission to host public meeting at Vicksburg city front

Published Aug. 14, 2019
The Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI, like her predecessors, serves as an inspection vessel for the MRC and working towboat during the revetment season.  Each spring, during traditional high water, and late summer, during traditional lower water, the Commission conducts a series of public meetings aboard the vessel at various river communities.  These gatherings enable local interests and the public to bring their views and concerns before the MRC and engage in dialogues with its members.

The Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI, like her predecessors, serves as an inspection vessel for the MRC and working towboat during the revetment season. Each spring, during traditional high water, and late summer, during traditional lower water, the Commission conducts a series of public meetings aboard the vessel at various river communities. These gatherings enable local interests and the public to bring their views and concerns before the MRC and engage in dialogues with its members.

VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi River Commission will host a public meeting aboard the Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI Aug. 21 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the city front in Vicksburg.

This meeting is open to the public. Interested parties are invited to present their views on matters affecting the water resources infrastructure needs in the valley, including flood control, the Mississippi River and Tributaries project and other water resources challenges.

The agenda for the public meeting is as follows:

1.  The president of the commission provides a summary report on national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

2.  District commander provides an overview for the commission on current project issues in the respective area.

3.  Local organizations and members of the public provide comments on issues affecting the commission and the USACE programs and projects.

The Mississippi River Commission, established in 1879, is composed of seven members, each nominated  by the President of the United States and vetted by the Senate. Three of the organization’s members are officers of the USACE; one member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers.

General duties of the commission include recommending policy and work programs, studying and reporting on the necessity for modifications or additions to the flood control and navigation project and conducting semi-annual inspection trips. The authority of the commission extends the entire length of the Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Head of Passes, Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. 

The public hearing process is unique to the Mississippi River Commission and the USACE. The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue between watershed interests, the public and the USACE. Presentations by the public are made orally, and a copy of the remarks is presented to the commission for official record and written response.

The benefits of hearing the issues and concerns first hand through the public hearing process are invaluable to the commission and the USACE. Also, the interaction with congressional, federal and state interests, local boards and non-government organizations and the public is crucial to the decision-making process for the nation’s water resources.

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.

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Media interested in covering the public meeting should contact Vicksburg District public affairs at 601-631-5053 or cemvk-pa@usace.army.mil no later than Aug.20 at 3 p.m. The Mississippi River Commission will be available for interviews prior to the start of the public meeting.


Contact
Reagan Lauritzen
601-631-5053
Reagan.B.Lauritzen@usace.army.mil

Release no. 19-022