HOW WILL THE
'ONE LAKE' PROJECT
HELP NORTH EAST JACKSON?
Several neighborhoods will continue to flood after the construction of the project. The project's planners will propose a voluntary buy-out program to compensate.
Image description
North East Jackson neighborhoods will continue to flood under the One Lake project and are listed under a proposed buy-out program.
Reference: 2018 One Lake Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Appendix E, PDF pages 18-20.
The One Lake will reduce river flooding, but more so in some places than others.
Two major infrastructure components of the One Lake will reduce the height of flood peaks along the river, but the level of reduction varies by location. The greatest drop will be immediately north of Lakeland Drive, where a 25-year flood event, such as the 2020 Flood, will be 7.8 feet lower. Predictions for other locations during a 25-year flood include:
-
a 2 to 3-foot drop near the mouth of Hanging Moss Creek
-
a 1 to 1.5-foot drop along the North Canton Club neighborhood.
These levels of flood reduction will not be enough. For example, some homes in North Canton Club had over four feet of water in them during the 2020 flood.
Resource -
Neighborhoods listed in the DEIS
Continued flooding in North East Jackson is noted in Appendix E of the 2018 One Lake Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
"Several areas... are expected to continue to experience flooding during flood events similar to the 1979 Flood Event and an annual 1% chance exceedance flood event.... These areas will experience significant reductions in flooding during flood events less than an annual 1% chance exceedance flood event."
Quoted -
North Canton Club: The "River Road Subdivision," which is part of the North Canton Club neighborhood, will continue to flood. "Voluntary buy-outs will be proposed in this area."
Quoted -
Canton Ave. Estates, Rollingwood, and McLeod: Several homes in this neighborhood will also experience benefits with the One Lake during 25- and 50-year flood events but may continue to flood on 100-year flood events. "Those homes will be included in a voluntary buy-out program."
Rollingwood and McLeod are not explicitly named, but page 11 lumps them with Canton Ave. Estates.
Quoted -
Concerns and questions
A reason for concern: Was there public engagement?
Voluntary flood buy-outs are common practice; sometimes, they are the most cost-effective measure for flood risk mitigation. However, there is nearly no evidence that the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood & Drainage District has informed residents of these proposed buy-outs. There's certainly been plenty of time. The One Lake Project has been studied for over ten years, and its DEIS was published nearly five years ago.
This lack of meaningful public engagement is a problem. These communities were some of the hardest hit by the 1979, 1983, 2020, and 2022 floods. They deserve to be a part of the process.
Flood buy-outs -
Our questions on behalf of NE Jackson residents.
-
Who was supposed to tell you that your home would continue to flood after constructing the One Lake?
-
How much water will your home get in the next 25-year, 50-year, or 100-year flood under the One Lake?
-
Are buyouts for your neighborhood budgeted?
-
Who’s going to make sure that you get
-
compensated justly under a buyout?
-
Does an alternative project offer better flood protections and increase your community's property values?
Do you have questions?
How will the One Lake Project affect you? You can ask the United States Army Corps of Engineers this or other questions. The agency is hosting public engagement meetings. Please attend.
-
What: USACE Public Engagement Meetings on the One Lake Project and its alternatives
-
When: May 24. 1pm and 6pm,
-
Where: Mississippi Ag Museum
EVENT PAGE: https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Programs-and-Project-Management/Project-Management/Pearl-River/
This article was written by Juan David Fernández
Background image: A view of the Pearl River from Rosemary between Terry and Florence, Mississippi. Distributed under a Creative Commons License. The image and license description are online.