Corps of Engineers responds to public input on floodway project report

Last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took a draft environmental impact statement for the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project to the public and asked for input, and officials say they received no shortage of it.

Since the four-month public-comment period closed in November, project manager Danny Ward said a team of biologists and hydraulic engineers have been responding to more than 20,000 submitted emails and letters.

The project, which encompasses areas in New Madrid, Mississippi and Scott counties, is designed to manage flood risks to St. Johns Bayou. A tentatively selected plan would close the 1,500-foot gap in the Mississippi River levee system and construct a 1,500-cubic-foot-per-second pumping station in the New Madrid Floodway and a 1,000-cubic-foot-per-second pumping station in the St. John's Bayou Basin. It also calls for the modification of 23 miles of ditches in the basin and waterfowl management during waterfowl season in both basins.

The impact statement has drawn criticism from multiple groups, some citing it does too little to protect wildlife that depend on the wetlands and others claiming it puts the needs of the wildlife ahead of those of the farmers and property owners near the floodway.

Rep. Jason Smith submitted a letter to the corps during the July-to-November comment period last year asking to keep in mind the project's "primary purpose."

"While I am in favor of the Project, I completely oppose attempts to build an environmental project with flood control money," he wrote. "This Project, originally authorized in 1954, has always had a clear and explicit purpose to provide only for flood protection."

St. Johns Bayou is home to about 34,000 residents that regularly experience backwater flooding from the river, Smith added. He also cited communities like East Prairie, Missouri, that constantly deal with flood-related infrastructure damage.

While the Eighth District congressman is in favor of closing the levee gap, others have expressed their dissent. Among the comments disagreeing with the plan is one asking the corps to reconsider a plan that would sever "the last connection between the Mississippi River and its floodplain in Missouri." Another expressed concern over closing a gap that provides needed relief for the river in times of flooding.

One simply said, "Please help stop the madness of this project."

Ward said it was a delicate balance, protecting the farmland that provides a livelihood for so many while keeping in mind the needs for local wildlife.

"That's been one of our goals from the onset is to formulate a project that will provide the necessary socioeconomic benefits, but at the same time recognizing the importance that the flooding provides to fish and wildlife habitat," he said.

The next step in the project is formulating a final environmental impact statement. Like the draft statement, Ward said it will be submitted to an independent panel of experts to review before it's released to the public.

"They'll provide this unbiased, scientific feedback and then we, in turn, will likely have to revise the final EIS -- and that's contingent on what this expert group has to say -- but we will submit the final EIS for a 30-day public review," he said.

The plan, said Ward, is to start the expert review process in September. The number and scope of revisions the group suggests will determine when the final statement will be released for public review.

After the public review period, the corps will submit the final statement, public comments and the corps' response to those concerns to the Mississippi Valley commanding general. The commanding general will choose either to implement plan or to take no action.

The cost of the tentative plan is about $164.8 million and the average annual cost is about $7.25 million. The corps estimates the average annual benefits from implementing the plan equal a little more than $15.5 million.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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