Low water inspection meeting Friday

Mississippi River Commission members and staff are in the midst of their annual low water inspection trip.

A public meeting will be held onboard the Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI located at the Port of Morgan City dock located at 800 Youngs Road from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, a news release said.

The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue between watershed interests, the public and the U.S. Army Corps of 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 release stated.

Other public meetings were held this week in Caruthersville, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Vicksburg, Mississippi. The public meetings give commission members the opportunity to meet with local partners, stakeholders and residents and hear their concerns, ideas and issues.

Interested parties are invited to present views on matters affecting the water resources infrastructure needs in the valley, including flood control, the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, environmental issues, recreation, navigation and others.

The agenda for each public meeting is:

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

2. The 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 any issue affecting the commission and the Corps of Engineers’ programs or 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 Corps of Engineers; one member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers, a release said.

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 nongovernment organizations and the public is crucial to the decision-making process for the nation’s water resources, the release said.