The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will host a public scoping meeting to solicit comments and information from the public regarding flood impacts in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Findings from the meeting will be used to prepare a draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement (DIFR-EIS) for the Memphis Metropolitan Stormwater Management Project: North DeSoto County, Mississippi. The DIFR-EIS will focus on developing a plan of improvement that provides flood risk reduction to public infrastructure as well as commercial and residential properties. Project features will be designed to avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts. A project website has been set up for public access at the following: https://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/North-DeSoto-County-Feasibility-Study/.
Several studies have been conducted that have indicated that a feasible plan for flood risk reduction may exist for the project area, with the most recent occurring in 2005, entitled Horn Lake Creek and Tributaries, Tennessee and Mississippi, General Reevaluation Report. A final plan to reduce flood surface elevations was proposed which included channel enlargement, concrete lining of some channel sections, rip rap bank protection, diversion ditch and weir construction, berm construction, and environmental enhancement.
The USACE invites the public; federal, state, and local agencies; Native American tribes; and other interested organizations to participate in the scoping process which will aid in determining the scope and depth of issues to be analyzed including, but not limited to, significant problems within the project area, potential solutions, and issues that are not considered significant by the Public.
The public scoping meeting will be held from 5 until 7 on August 29, 2019 at the County Road Department, 2373 Gwynn Road, Nesbit, Mississippi 38651. A similar meeting was held on December 5, 2018 to gather information on areas where flooding has occurred in the past.
Interested individuals may provide comments and questions concerning this study to (1) the USACE, in person, at the public scoping meeting; (2) by regular U.S. Mail to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CEMVN-PDC-UDC), ATTN: Andrea Carpenter, 167 North Main Street, Room B-202, Memphis, Tennessee 38103-1894; and/or (3) by email to: Andrea.L.Carpenter@usace.army.mil. Please include your name and return address on the first page of your written comments. Comments related to the scoping process should be received no later than October 15, 2019, to be considered in the DIFR-EIS. For additional information concerning the scoping process, public me