Secretary of State Michael Watson voices issues over influence on Mississippi Coast from initiatives in Louisiana’s coastal grasp plan.

As the one statewide elected official from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I’ve been actively concerned in monitoring the potential impacts of the proposed Mississippi River Sediment Diversion (MRSD) initiatives in Louisiana’s coastal grasp plan. I’m grateful the Mississippi Division of Marine Assets (MDMR) and the College of Southern Mississippi (USM) teamed up on the latest Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion (MBrSD) Evaluation. My stance has not modified. If the diversions, notably MBrSD, are dangerous for the Mississippi Sound (MSS), then I’ll combat their development to make sure the impacts are mitigated and ensure Mississippi has a seat on the desk all through the method.

The newly launched report by MDMR and USM exhibits the MSS could be adversely affected by the operation of the MBrSD beneath a minimum of one, if not all, of the three situations examined. What this report proves is the US Military Corp of Engineers (USACE) ought to embody impacts to the MSS of their MBrSD Environmental Impression Assertion (EIS), and Mississippi stakeholders must be actively concerned in figuring out what operational regimes of the MBrSD could possibly be dangerous to the MSS. It additional proves we must be actively concerned in ongoing monitoring of the ecosystem at giant when, or if, the MBrSD turns into operational.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast ecosystem has suffered vastly over the previous decade resulting from unprecedented flooding leading to 237 days of Bonnet Carre Spillway (BCS) openings during the last 12 years. We’re grateful the United State District Court docket for the Southern District of Mississippi just lately dominated the impacts of the BCS to the MSS had been missed within the EIS for the BCS and people impacts are being reconsidered. This ruling coupled with the latest USM examine fortifies the stance that the MSS must be included within the EIS for the MBrSD.

To keep away from antagonistic results to the MSS, the MDMR/USM examine recommends Louisiana “train warning if a full opening of the MBrSD is being thought-about throughout excessive river discharge, particularly throughout BCS openings.” It additional recommends we “Conduct short-term close to real-time forecast modeling, at the moment in growth, to evaluate dangers based mostly on related climate and riverine circumstances because the timing and circulate stage of a freshwater diversion are key components that have an effect on impacts on Mississippi jurisdictional waters.”

The examine additionally factors out extra analysis could possibly be useful in figuring out the impacts of the MBrSD beneath different operational parameters and Mississippi River Hydrology (MRH) circumstances. For the reason that examine was commissioned, the utmost design circulate of the MBrSD has been lowered from the 75,000 cubic ft per second used within the examine, and we should bear in mind the MRH is a residing, respiration unpredictable drive.

Due to the fragile stability current in our shared ecosystem with our neighbor, we will’t ignore the existential land-loss downside Louisiana is going through within the Mid-Breton Sound and Biloxi Marsh. As wholesome marsh lands proceed to vanish throughout what’s left of the crow foot delta, we should decide what the long-term impacts to the MSS shall be when they’re gone. Whereas we have now proof of the detrimental impacts MBrSD might have on the MSS beneath the studied operational parameters, a course of no motion on Louisiana’s half might even have disastrous results on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

My mode of operation has at all times been to construct and preserve relationships which allow troublesome conversations like those that lie forward associated to the well being of our treasured pure assets. I stand dedicated to this plan of action till it proves ineffective. I’ll proceed to observe and facilitate interplay with all stakeholders to make sure Mississippi will get and maintains a seat on the desk, insuring a optimistic end result for our Mississippi Gulf Coast.