VICKSBURG, Miss., -- The Mississippi River Commission will
conduct its annual high-water inspection trip on the Mississippi River April
11-15, 2016.
Four public meetings have been scheduled aboard the Motor
Vessel MISSISSIPPI in selected towns along the river so commission members have
the opportunity to meet with local partners, stakeholders and residents and
hear their concerns, ideas and issues. The meeting places, dates and times are
as follows:
• April
11 9:00 a.m. Cairo, Ill. (City Front)
• April
12 9:00 a.m. Memphis, Tenn. (Beal Street Landing)
• April
13 9:00 a.m. Lake Providence, La. (City Port)
• April
15 9:00 a.m. New Orleans, La. (Thalia Street Wharf, Port of New
Orleans)
All meetings are open to the public. Anyone with an
interest is invited to present their views and suggestions on matters affecting
the water resources infrastructure needs in the valley, including flood control
and the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, environmental issues,
recreation, navigation and others.
The agenda for each public meeting will be as follows:
1. Summary report
by president of the commission on national and regional issues affecting the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commission programs and projects on the
Mississippi River and its tributaries.
2. District
commander's overview for the commission on current project issues in the
respective area.
3. Presentations
to the commission by local organizations and members of the public giving views
or comments on any issue affecting the programs or projects of the commission
and the Corps of Engineers.
The MRC, 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 Corps of
Engineers; 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 recommendation
of policy and work programs, the study of and reporting upon the necessity for
modifications or additions to the flood control and navigation project,
recommendation upon any matters authorized by law, and making semi-annual
inspection trips. The duties of the commission include the entire length of the
Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minn., to Head of Passes,
La., where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a
dialogue, an exchange of viewpoints and ideas flowing between the watershed
interests, the public and the Corps. Presentations by the public are made
orally, but a copy of the remarks should be presented to the commission for the
official record and written response.
The public hearing process is unique to the Mississippi
River Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The benefits of hearing
the issues and concerns first hand through the public hearing process are
invaluable to the commission and the Corps. 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.
Since 1879, the seven-member Presidentially appointed
Mississippi River Commission has developed and matured plans for the general
improvement of the Mississippi River from the Head of Passes to the Headwaters.
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.
Listening, Inspecting, Partnering and Engineering since
1879. - end -