The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, has announced the publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Yazoo Backwater Study Area (YSA) project and is requesting feedback from the public.

USACE officials said the DEIS will publish Friday and will be open to public feedback through Monday, August 12.

Collaboratively developed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the proposal reflects a commitment to public engagement and interagency water management, USACE officials said.

“This milestone marks a significant step forward in addressing flood risk management within the YSA during high Mississippi River flood events. Collaboratively developed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the proposal reflects a commitment to public engagement and interagency water management. This milestone marks a significant step forward in addressing flood risk management within the YSA during high Mississippi River flood events.”

The Yazoo Backwater area, situated in Mississippi, experiences recurrent flooding due to rain accumulation behind levees within the YSA drainage system. The DEIS proposes a new water management plan that integrates structural and non-structural elements to address flooding while prioritizing environmental considerations and minimizing wetland impacts, USACE said in a statement.

“Building upon decades of public input, novel interagency partnerships, and a comprehensive dataset enriched by new environmental and hydrologic data, the approach to developing solutions to the YSA are considerably different than past efforts.”

USACE said the proposed water management plan for the YSA will reduce backwater flood risk to local communities and agricultural production, while minimizing impacts to important wetland resources.

“The Corps is committing to secure mitigation for the approximately 1,200 acres of historically unmitigated wetland impacts required for existing projects in the Basin. In addition, all mitigation necessary to fully offset unavoidable impacts of the new proposal to wetlands, as well as fish, wildlife, and their habitats, will be secured prior to initiation of project construction.”

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor said the goal of the newest flood proposal is the protection of people and property with the least possible impact on the natural environment.

“The release of the draft environmental impact statement for the Yazoo Backwater Area project represents a true whole of government approach to address the destructive impacts of prolonged flooding to communities in rural Mississippi,” Connor said. “This multi-agency effort considers a wide range of factors in developing a new proposed water management plan, among other alternatives, that fully evaluates how best to protect people, infrastructure, and wildlife from devastating floods while minimizing impacts to the environment.”

The DEIS will be available for public review and comment for a period of 45 days beginning Friday. The comment period will concluding in August. The DEIS reflects open dialogue with affected communities and stakeholders and the Corps looks forward to continuing to hear from communities, the public, and interested parties during the public comment period to ensure all interested parties have an opportunity to be heard, USACE said.

“All input provided will be considered in the development of the final environmental impact statement.”

In person and virtual public sessions will also be scheduled to provide additional opportunities for engagement. Details regarding these sessions will be posted to the website below when available.

For more information about the Yazoo Backwater Study Area DEIS, including how to access the document and participate in the public comment process, visit: https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Programs-and-Project-Management/Yazoo-Backwater/.