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I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: A New Court Ruling Shows Progress
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In 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took action that caused great harm
to small businesses and the ecosystem of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In order
to relieve high water levels on the Mississippi River, the Corps opened the
Bonnet Carré Spillway twice – for a total of 123 days – sending a flood of
sediment-laden, fresh water into the saltwater Mississippi Sound.



Last month, a U.S. District Judge issued a ruling that moves us one step
closer to ensuring that a disaster like 2019 does not happen again. The corps
is now required to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service about the
impact of such Spillway openings.



How We Got Here



Built in the aftermath of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the Spillway
had never been opened twice in one year and never for such a long period of
time. The damage to the Mississippi Sound from these unprecedented measures in
2019 was almost immediate.



Polluted water from the Bonnet Carré Spillway likely killed more than 90
percent of oysters on Mississippi harvest reefs, and shrimp landings were
reduced by 50 percent. Harmful algae blooms closed Mississippi beaches,
devastating the local tourism industry during the crucial summer months. Years
of post-Hurricane Katrina Gulf Coast recovery work was undone.



This disster affected every Mississippian, not just those living along the
Gulf Coast. Local businesses provide thousands of jobs and millions of dollars
in tax revenue for local and state governments. Mississippi needed relief, and
I worked with state and federal officials to secure more than $21 million from
the Department of Commerce to cover losses incurred by fishermen, aquaculture
businesses, and seafood processors.



While this support was welcome, it was not a long-term solution. Four years
later, Mississippi communities still feel the effects of 2019. Gulf Coast
communities should not be expected to contend with prolonged Spillway openings
when heavy rain leads to high water upstream. And going forward, the impact of
such Spillway openings on Mississippi needs to be considered in flood-control
operations.



As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I championed
a provision in the Water Resources Development Act that directed the Corps to
conduct a Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study. This
federally-funded study will identify changes and new features that could help
reduce the risk of flooding and decrease reliance on the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
I will advocate for the Corps to conduct this study in a timely manner, and I
look forward to reviewing its recommendations.



During the last Congress, I also introduced the FLOODS Act, which the
President signed in December. This new law will establish a National Integrated
Flood Information System and improve flood watches and warnings, a critical
step to protect lives and livelihoods along the Gulf Coast.



The Work Continues



Thanks to the tireless advocacy of local Mississippi governments, nonprofits,
and small-business owners, the Bonnet Carré Spillway issue is getting the
attention it deserves. I echo my counterparts in the Mississippi state
legislature who are working to pass a resolution in support of groups like the
Mississippi Sound Coalition, an organization that has been in this fight from
the beginning. Their efforts are beginning to pay off.



As Gulf Coast residents and business owners know, this work is not over. I
recently urged the National Marine Fisheries Service to meet with the
Mississippi Sound Coalition. I will continue to ensure that Mississippians’
concerns are heard loud and clear in Washington.





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Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker






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