Number: 2004-09
WHEREAS, Congress has appropriated $2.8 million for a feasibility study of the proposed LeFleur’s Lakes Project, a private development project under the guise of a flood control project; and
WHEREAS, local match for this study has been approved by the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, the Rankin County Board of Supervisors and the City of Jackson; and
WHEREAS, the LeFleur’s Lake Project, in order to provide flood control benefits to Jackson and surrounding areas, requires that Ross Barnett Reservoir serve primarily as a flood control reservoir; and
WHEREAS, the Ross Barnett Reservoir was constructed to provide recreation and a water supply for Jackson and surrounding areas, and was never intended to be a flood control reservoir; and
WHEREAS, converting Ross Barnett Reservoir to a flood control reservoir was considered and rejected after both the 1979 and 1983 floods; and
WHEREAS, large fluctuations in water levels of Ross Barnett Reservoir will have a detrimental effect on reproduction of largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and other species of game fish; and
WHEREAS, the proposed LeFleur’s Lake Project would permanently destroy 5,492 acres of stream forest and emergent wetlands, resulting in decreased habitat complexity and decreased wildlife diversity and the possibility of establishment of nuisance plants and animals; and
WHEREAS, the proposed LeFleur’s Lake Project would permanently destroy 3,479 acres of bottomland hardwood habitat and 31.77 miles of riverine habitat; and
WHEREAS, the proposed lake will destroy a major portion of LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, which was developed with Land and Water Conservation Fund Act monies, and which will have to be replaced with lands of at least fair market value, usefulness, and location as that being lost; and
WHEREAS, LeFleur’s Bluff State Park is the largest public natural area in an urban setting in Mississippi with 300 acres of undeveloped area which will be severely impacted by the LeFleur’s Lakes project; and
WHEREAS, the LeFleur’s Bluff State Park is home to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, a highly visited attraction in Mississippi, and over fifty percent of the yearly visitation of 170,000 is minority school children, and the educational opportunities for these children will be severely limited by the LeFleur’s Lakes project; and
WHEREAS, recreational activities such as camping, hiking and environmental education at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park would be replaced with water-related recreational opportunities, and these activities would be limited to those persons who have both access to appropriate equipment such as boats and a desire for such water-related activities; and
WHEREAS, there are two closed municipal landfills which would be partially or fully inundated by the proposed lakes potentially causing drastic pollution problems; and
WHEREAS, the proposed lakes will actually cause increased river flooding and bank caving downstream of the Jackson Metropolitan Area in such locations as Monticello and Columbia; and
WHEREAS, the proposed lakes will cause increased flooding during heavy rains in the Jackson Metropolitan Area as a result of higher water levels of tributary streams caused by impoundment of the Pearl River, resulting in flooding in areas of Jackson that have never flooded before; and
WHEREAS, the proposed lakes will act as a trap for urban runoff in the Jackson Metropolitan Area which will result in stagnant pools during seasonal low-flow periods with high levels of garbage and pollutants, including sewage, instead of allowing natural processes that detoxify and contribute to water purification; and
WHEREAS, the Pearl River in the area of the proposed lakes provides habitat for a rich assemblage of native mussel and fish species many of which cannot exist in a reservoir environment; and
WHEREAS, twelve state listed species of special concern, the Moody’s Branch geologic formation and the geologic type locality for the Byrum Formation would be impacted; and
WHEREAS, the Pearl River in the area of the proposed lakes provides habitat for two federally listed species, the ringed sawback turtle and the gulf sturgeon, and the proposed lakes would be completely unsuitable for either of these two species; and
WHEREAS, this section of the Pearl River falls within designated critical habitat for the Gulf Sturgeon; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation supports non-structural sustainable floodplain management, such as voluntary buyouts and the development of green space that reduces federal flood control bailout liabilities, and increases wildlife habitat and public recreational opportunities consistent with current national trends in floodplain management.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled March 11-13, 2004, in St. Louis, Missouri, opposes the development of the LeFleur’s Lakes Project as currently proposed by private developers in Jackson, Mississippi and urges decision makers to enhance and protect the area for its scenic and recreational values; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation requests that the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the local sponsors analyze and report on sustainable non-structural alternatives for flood control in the LeFleur’s Lake Project area that could provide increased wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.