Drainage cleanup to help reduce flooding

Local News

Related Photos

Photo by David A. Farrell

November 12, 2009

Jeremy Pittari Picayune Item Thu Nov 12, 2009, 09:19 AM CST

PICAYUNE — Cleanup of about eight drainage areas in Pearl River County is expected to help reduce flooding during heavy rains.

The drainage areas have been clogged with vegetative debris since Hurricane Katrina, which restricts water flow. Pearl River County Planning and Development Director Ed Pinero Jr., said the debris created partial dams that kept water from draining to the Pearl River as it should.

The project has been underway for about two months, Pinero said. County Engineer Les Dungan said he expects the project to be completed by the end of this month.

The USDA National Resource Conservation Service-funded project became a reality shortly after supervisors Sandy Kane Smith and Patrick Lee came into office. Smith said the effort was one of the things he and Lee wanted to see completed if they were elected. After winning the election, Smith said conversations about funding took place with Dungan and others and the application to the USDA was submitted. Smith said Dungan proposed applying to the USDA for the NRCS funds. After the $710,000 grant was approved, it took about a year to secure right of way easements from the 150 property owners that adjoined each watershed, Dungan said.

Right of way easements gave the company that won the bid, HSI Inc., two years of access to affected properties and the right to conduct the cleanup, Dungan said. So far the project is about 90 percent complete and about $600,000 has been used.

The vegetative debris was removed during the cleanup without digging into the watersheds, and the wood was chipped up and discharged back into the area. Smith said smaller debris, if it reenters a watershed, can easily be carried off by flowing water. If the debris had not been chipped, then it could have clogged the watershed and caused the water to back up again.

The work will have cleared eight tributaries when complete, including an unnamed tributary in the Sycamore community, Little Sycamore Branch and its tributary, Holley Creek, Bay Branch, Alligator Branch first and second and a tributary off of second Alligator Branch, Dungan said.

Dungan said there was cooperation from the landowners, which was needed to conduct the work.

“If we couldn’t clean from one end to the other, then we’d have a problem,” Dungan said. “It would have diminished the effectiveness of the project.”

Altogether, the project will clear about 18 miles of county watersheds, most of which are just outside of Picayune. Already Dungan has noticed an increase in the flow of water. So has Vernon Randolph who signed the right of way form. Randolph said the rain that fell during Tropical Storm Ida did not back up to his fence as it usually does during similar rain events.

Randolph said in 1995 his house flooded, so he appreciated the help.

“Anything to help drainage in the back of my house is a plus,” Randolph said.

Smith said the next step will be to work on getting Hobolochitto Creek cleaned out. So far he has had general discussions with U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-4th, who suggested Smith contact the U.S. Coast Guard. Smith said that if the Coast Guard is able to help, it might bring in a helicopter to lift the large pieces of debris from Boley Creek as part of a training exercise.

Lee was unavailable for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Text Only

Local News

PMHS GRADUATION
Picayune Memorial High School held its graduation ceremony Thursday night where the school’s valedictorian Jared Christopher Bates, left, and salutatorian Bryce Austin Warden gave their speeches.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
POPLARVILLE GRADUATION
Poplarville High School held its graduation ceremony Thursday night where the school’s valedictorian Rebecca Starke, left, and salutatorian Meagan Whitworth gave their speeches to the graduating class, parents and friends.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Local man paralyzed by juvenile shooting
Medical personnel were teaching a local man how to swallow again on Saturday after his spinal cord was severed by a .22 caliber bullet, fired by one of three juveniles, on Thursday.

May 26, 2012
Potential bridge replacement fund shortage draws discussion
Despite a lengthy agenda for Pearl River County supervisors Wednesday the board handled many of the items with a straight up and down 5-0 vote.

May 26, 2012
Glade Woods dies
Funeral services for Earl Glade Woods , 75 of Picayune, are Monday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Picayune. Woods passed away on Friday.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
MHP on patrol for holiday
Even though there has been a remarkable reduction in the number of fatalities in Mississippi over the past seven years, last year’s Memorial Day Weekend was particularly deadly.

May 26, 2012
POLICE MEMORIAL
City employees were out at the Picayune Police Department memorial Thursday morning doing some upgrades to it.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
ACCIDENT ACCIDENT — Emergency personnel responded to this accident Thursday morning on South Haugh Avenue.
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Supervisors support sales tax proposal
The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors unanimously supports District 1 Supervisor Anthony Hales proposal for a 1-percent county sales tax.
Hales had outlined his proposal at two earlier meetings of the board of supervisors and the other four members voiced their support for the idea at Wednesday’s meeting.

May 25, 2012
Lawrence sentenced to 57 months for child porn
Picayune native Clifford Lawrence has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for possession of child pornography.

May 25, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Drainage cleanup to help reduce flooding

Site Map

Contact Us