The City of Picayune is moving forward with a stream cleanup along Holly Branch, targeting flood-prone areas between 3rd Avenue and Idlewild Drive. City officials say the effort is a cost-effective alternative to a more expensive armoring project, with work being done in-house using city crews and equipment.

The cleanup consists of mulching and removing debris above the stream’s normal flow line—estimated between 18 and 24 inches above the bottom—while avoiding disturbance to the streambed. The city’s plan complies with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidelines and avoids the need for federal environmental permits.

According to City Engineer Devin Hedgepeth, the decision to scale back the original project was driven by cost. “To mitigate just 500 feet of ditch was going to cost $60,500,” Hedgepeth said. “To armor protect the existing Holly Branch from 3rd Avenue downstream 500 linear feet would be $300,500. That estimate includes construction, mitigation, environmental permits, and professional services.”

Instead, city crews are clearing above the flow line using a track-hoe fitted with a mulching head. No equipment is allowed in the streambed itself, and mulched debris is evenly spread within 30 feet of the top of the stream bank. The city confirmed no wetlands within that range in the project area.

Work is being done under strict environmental controls: healthy trees cannot be removed without approval from the Public Works Director, and crews are prohibited from cutting new access paths or placing debris in wetlands or tributaries.

Equipment funded by ARPA allocation

The city can perform this work in-house thanks to equipment purchased with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated by former District 106 State Representative Frank Ford. According to Public Works Director Ronnie Spiers, Ford recognized the urgency of flooding issues in Picayune and directed his ARPA funds accordingly.

“Frank knew the issues with flooding in the City of Picayune and was willing to allocate his funds to help resolve the issues,” Spiers said.

The city used those funds to purchase a Cat 309 CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator with a Shearex VM35 mulcher at $172,395.00. According to Spiers, this single piece of equipment has enabled the city to clean several major natural waterways, including:

• Bay Branch
• Mill Creek
• Second Alligator Branch
• Holly Branch
• Merrydale Ditch
• Kingsway Drive Ditch
• Touquet Street Ditch
• Loftin Avenue to Joseph Avenue Ditch

Spiers said the city is now obtaining right-of-entry approvals from residents along Monroe Branch and a main drainage ditch between Charlotte Drive and Shirley Drive to continue the cleaning initiative.

FEMA ratings benefit from drainage work

The stream cleaning effort is also helping Picayune maintain a strong standing in the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Spiers said the city recently completed FEMA’s five-year inspection, which focused heavily on the condition of natural waterways.

“The purchase of the excavator and mulcher expedited the cleaning of the waterways and dramatically improved natural drainage,” Spiers said. “Cleaning of the waterways improved the scores on the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System and assisted in keeping flood insurance costs low.”

In addition to the excavator and mulcher, other ARPA-funded purchases that support the city’s drainage and maintenance efforts include:

• A 2007 F-750 chip truck for $35,000
• A 2023 Morbark 1215 Eeger Beever Chipper for $41,000
• A four-post car lift for the mechanic shop for $22,274.40

A response to long-standing drainage problems

The current project stems from a 2023 drainage study that identified Holly Branch as a critical drainage corridor suffering from debris buildup and vegetation overgrowth. These issues reduced the stream’s capacity and contributed to street and yard flooding during storms.

Rather than pursuing a costly engineering solution requiring permitting and mitigation, city leaders chose a practical route to improve drainage while complying with environmental regulations. Based on a January 2024 site visit with the Corps, the city determined it could proceed with debris removal and mulching as long as it stayed above the regular flow line and avoided wetlands.

Per project guidelines, no equipment crosses the stream; only underbrush and dead trees are cleared. Flow obstructions within 15 feet of the top bank are removed using methods such as sawing, cabling, winching, lifting, or dragging. Ground is regraded after the work to ensure proper drainage is maintained.