New Madrid Floodway Project
Encyclopedia
The New Madrid Floodway Project is an ongoing project intended to close a 1500 feet (457.2 m) gap in the Mississippi River
Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
levee
at New Madrid County, Missouri
, to decrease southeast Missouri
's vulnerability to flooding. This area is also called the St. Johns Bayou Basin and is located near Bird's Point, Missouri
.
Although authorization for the move was authorized by Congress
as early as 1954, the gap remains; as environmental groups, local citizens, and politicians wrestle the issue through the courts.
Opponents of the plans, such as The Missouri Coalition for the Environment say it will not address the flooding problem, but instead, will only destroy fish habitat.
On average, the Mississippi River floods Mississippi County, MO & New Madrid County, MO once every three years; or, a total of 16 times over the past 45. In the spring of 2002, flooding covered over 77400 acres (313.2 km²) in the New Madrid Floodway, destroying 48700 acres (197.1 km²) of crops.
The flood damage, the United States Department of Agriculture
says, could have been greatly limited had the Floodway Project been completed. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, however, the plan is unworkable; or per Senator John McCain
's recitation of an earlier Washington Post article, "absolutely ridiculous".
Southeast Missourians affected by the flooding feel differently. One well respected citizen who many times has been forced to evacuate, then sit helplessly as the churning water consumed her home, put it like this: "It is vital for our community. If you don't get to work, you can't pay your mortgage."
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson
, R
-MO, who represents the bootheel region
in Missouri's Eighth Congressional District, sees it differently: "Flood protection is a necessity.... Last year, [100000 acres (404.7 km²) were flooded, and] nearly 50000 acres (202.3 km²) of crops were destroyed. Farmers cannot afford to sustain these preventable annual losses.".
and the National Environmental Policy Act
, when it is not." He further ordered that the already completed work on the project, tallied at $7 million, be undone.
The decision came after environmentalist groups argued that the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act were being violated in the name of agrarian prosperity; and that the Floodway project would create no possible human benefit.
"That's a bunch of nonsense," says one local official, "They can say what they want, but they don't live here."
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson called the judge's ruling "a pause before we move forward..."
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
The Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway is a flood control component of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project located on the west bank of the Mississippi River in southeast Missouri just below the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The construction of the floodway was authorized by...
levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
at New Madrid County, Missouri
New Madrid County, Missouri
New Madrid County is a county located in the Bootheel of southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the county's population was 19,760. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 17,589. The largest city and county seat is New Madrid...
, to decrease southeast Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
's vulnerability to flooding. This area is also called the St. Johns Bayou Basin and is located near Bird's Point, Missouri
Bird's Point, Missouri
Bird's Point is an unincorporated community in Mississippi County, Missouri. It lies on an island or former island in the Mississippi River, near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and is situated directly across from Cairo, Illinois. This is the point where the U.S...
.
Although authorization for the move was authorized by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
as early as 1954, the gap remains; as environmental groups, local citizens, and politicians wrestle the issue through the courts.
Controversy
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contends that the program is vital to the actual and economic survival of the region.Opponents of the plans, such as The Missouri Coalition for the Environment say it will not address the flooding problem, but instead, will only destroy fish habitat.
On average, the Mississippi River floods Mississippi County, MO & New Madrid County, MO once every three years; or, a total of 16 times over the past 45. In the spring of 2002, flooding covered over 77400 acres (313.2 km²) in the New Madrid Floodway, destroying 48700 acres (197.1 km²) of crops.
The flood damage, the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
says, could have been greatly limited had the Floodway Project been completed. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, however, the plan is unworkable; or per Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's recitation of an earlier Washington Post article, "absolutely ridiculous".
Southeast Missourians affected by the flooding feel differently. One well respected citizen who many times has been forced to evacuate, then sit helplessly as the churning water consumed her home, put it like this: "It is vital for our community. If you don't get to work, you can't pay your mortgage."
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson
Jo Ann Emerson
Jo Ann Emerson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. The district consists of Southeast and South Central Missouri and includes the Bootheel, the Lead Belt and the Ozarks. Emerson is a member of the Republican Party....
, R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-MO, who represents the bootheel region
Bootheel
The Missouri Bootheel is the southeasternmost part of the state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30’ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the state resembles the heel of a boot. Strictly speaking, it is composed of the counties of Dunklin, New Madrid, and Pemiscot...
in Missouri's Eighth Congressional District, sees it differently: "Flood protection is a necessity.... Last year, [100000 acres (404.7 km²) were flooded, and] nearly 50000 acres (202.3 km²) of crops were destroyed. Farmers cannot afford to sustain these preventable annual losses.".
Legal battle
On September 19, 2007, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dealt a major blow to the $107 million St. John's Bayou/New Madrid Floodway Project. In ordering a halt to the floodwall's construction, Judge James Robertson said the Corps had improperly manipulated its habitat models to make it seem that the project's environmental impacts would be "compliant with the Clean Water ActClean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
and the National Environmental Policy Act
National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act is a United States environmental law that established a U.S. national policy promoting the enhancement of the environment and also established the President's Council on Environmental Quality ....
, when it is not." He further ordered that the already completed work on the project, tallied at $7 million, be undone.
The decision came after environmentalist groups argued that the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act were being violated in the name of agrarian prosperity; and that the Floodway project would create no possible human benefit.
"That's a bunch of nonsense," says one local official, "They can say what they want, but they don't live here."
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson called the judge's ruling "a pause before we move forward..."