‘One Lake’ EIS in peer review stage

The head of Louisiana’s Lower Pearl River Basin Task Force, which studies the health and management of the basin, hopes to meet with the state’s congressional delegation this month in Washington, D.C., to discuss the “One Lake” proposed flood control project near Jackson, Miss. The project proposes to create a 1,500-acre lake by damming the river. An environmental impact study (EIS) on the proposed project could be released around Feb. 1. Louisiana Sen. Sharon Hewitt (R-Slidell) has environmental concerns that the One Lake project could mean for the lower Pearl. "Anything that happens upstream definitely has an impact downstream,'' she said, including the flow of water and salinity. Hewitt chairs the Lower Pearl River Basin Task Force. She fears the EIS won't adequately address the impact on the lower Pearl River. The unfunded, but authorized project would use a low-head dam below Interstate 20 to create the lake. The proposal stems from efforts to reduce the chances of another flood that swamped Jackson, Miss., in 1979 that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. South Louisiana and south Mississippi officials worry the dam will slow the flow of water into the basin causing environmental problems. The St. Tammany Parish (La.) Council objected to the project, and questioned its impact on threatened wildlife species, as far back as 2013. Keith Turner, an attorney for the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood Control District, which is spearheading the proposed $300M project, said Dec. 29 that the EIS is in the peer review process. The Army Corps of Engineers has advised the district not to publicly release the study until the peer review is completed. (Source: NOLA.com 01/03/18) UPDATE: On Jan. 22, the Washington Parish Council voted to join with St. Tammany in opposing the 'One Lake' project.