One Lake, Few Alternatives: A Primer
Many of the concerns surrounding One Lake remain unresolved and, to date, the Levee Board has declined to host a public forum to take questions from the audience openly, instead opting for only accepting written questions and allowing one-on-one conversations.
'One Lake' Critics Sound Alarms on Bridges, Environment, Industry Effects
Environmentalists are sounding alarms over concerns that the Levee Board is misrepresenting alternative solutions to Jackson's flooding woes in favor of lucrative property-development opportunities.
Levees Worked Well in Jackson Flood, But ‘One Lake’ Still District’s Choice
"I'm glad we're conducting the meeting today. I'm glad we can dispel some of the rumors and some of the myths about the One Lake project," Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham, an enthusiastic supporter of the project, said. "There are two things we can do as it relates to flooding and flooding mitigation. We can do something, or we can do nothing."
OPINION: Hindsight 2020: Jackson Flooding and 40 years of Failed Solutions
"The flooding of the Pearl River in early 2020 has led to high water moving into neighborhoods and businesses, while many simultaneously want a 'flood control' plan for Jackson. These calls have risen and fallen since the 1979 Easter Flood just like the Pearl."
West Jackson Creek Woes Become ‘One Lake’ Pitch
A public meeting in west Jackson to debate solutions to recent flash floods quickly turned into an impromptu pitch for the "One Lake Project" from three Hinds County supervisors and Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Mr. Mayor, Don’t Let ‘One Lake’ Be Your ‘Siemens’
"The mayor is clearly trying to express support for the people who are experiencing flooding this week. But this isn't (just) about sturgeon, Mr. Mayor. And I sincerely encourage you not to make the One Lake project your 'Siemens.'"
OPINION: One Lake—‘One Sewage Lagoon’?
It is interesting how quiet the proponents of the "One Lake" plan have been over the last couple of months. Maybe it is because in September 2018, U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, added language to the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 to stall the progress of the One Lake project.
A Waiting Game: What’s Next with ‘One Lake,’ Flood Control?
Despite multiple roadblocks and open questions, the controversial plan to create a large lake along the Pearl River for flood control and potential development in the Jackson area continues to move ahead as project sponsors respond to thousands of comments that poured in last fall.
Study Finds 'One Lake' Project Poses Costly Public Health Risks
The "One Lake" proposal has hit another major hurdle. A report commissioned as part of the project's draft study has found the project poses serious public and environmental health risks.
'One Lake' Could Mean 'Catastrophic Failure' of State-Owned Bridges
One day before public comment closed on the "One Lake" flood-control and development project proposed along the Pearl River, the Mississippi Department of Transportation sent a letter to the Rankin-Hinds Flood Control District attorney Keith Turner.
New Delays for 'One Lake' Likely as Bipartisan Concerns in Congress Grow
One U.S. Senate bill currently waiting on President Donald Trump's signature could have major ramifications for the long-planned and controversial "One Lake" development and flood-control project along the Pearl River in Jackson.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson Says 'One Lake' Violates Federal Laws
In a surprise move, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and a coalition of businesses, public-interest organizations and citizens are speaking out against a draft plan to dam the Pearl River and create a lake development that backers saw will help control flooding in the Jackson area.
New Orleans Opponents of 'One Lake' Push Letter Campaign to Stop It
The New Orleans-based Gulf Restoration Network, which formed a coalition in 1995 to "restore the natural resources of the Gulf Region," is pushing a letter-writing campaign against the proposed "One Lake" development and flood-control project along the Pearl River in Jackson
Vetting the ‘One Lake’ Project
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, often called the Levee Board, is supporting the "One Lake" plan, the latest version of a years-long strategy to create a lake development along the Pearl River through Jackson.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: ‘One Lake’ Backers Have a Transparency Problem
Proponents of the "One Lake" project on the Pearl River have a high bar to clear, and I don't think they're doing it yet. Their problem is simple: lack of transparency.
Mississippi Reservoir Plans Generating Louisiana Concerns
Louisiana officials are worried Mississippi's plans for a new reservoir on the Pearl River could harm Louisiana's ecology.
One Lake's 'Controlled Meeting' a 'Propaganda Machine' To Some Attendees
The potential for outrage, raised voices and loud arguments at the One Lake Public Meeting was never recognized. But, One Lake project members were prepared for the possibility for pushback against their plan to create redevelop a section of the Pearl River through Jackson, while promising flood-control benefits.
OPINION: The Big Flood of the Pearl, Not If, but When
So the big question is, “Will the ‘One Lake’ project be the salvation for Jackson in the event of a massive flood like the Easter Flood of 1979?” Not likely.
OPINION: A Pearl of Great Price: The Value of a Flowing Pearl River in Jackson
For fish and turtle species in flowing river habitats, if something happens to their environment—like a dam turning a flowing river into a stagnant lake—they will likely be lost over time.
Long-awaited 'One Lake' Proposal Should Go Public This Month
The draft proposal of the "One Lake" plan to dredge out parts of the Pearl River adjacent to the Jackson-metro area should go public this month.
EDITORIAL: Citizens, Be Informed and Vigilant About ‘One Lake’ Project
If you haven't paid attention to the proposed flood-control/development project called "One Lake" along the Pearl River, now is the time to help vet the ambitious plan.
Coalition Forms Against ‘One Lake’ Proposal
Several wildlife and environmental groups came together to form a coalition against the proposed "One Lake" flood-control/development project on the Pearl River a few weeks before the report detailing the proposal is published.
EDITORIAL: Citizens, Be Informed and Vigilant About ‘One Lake’ Project
If you haven't paid attention to the proposed flood-control/development project called "One Lake" along the Pearl River, now is the time to help vet the ambitious plan.
'One Lake' Project Could Go to Public for Comment Next Month
Engineers are pumping water at both Pearl River stations after a weekend of storms. The river reached a crest of 21 feet this weekend but is projected to drop down to lower levels later this week.
'One Lake' Bond Bill Passes House By Slim Margin After Questions
Proponents of the "One Lake" project along the Pearl River through Jackson got a financial boost when the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a nearly $100-million bond and loan measure by a three-vote margin on Thursday.
One Lake Project One Step Closer to Public Input
The 2007 map of the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District includes just a sliver of Jackson, predominantly along the Pearl as well as a piece of downtown, including the Mississippi Coliseum.
OPINION: 'One Lake’ A Triumph of Cronyism?
Flood-control alternatives, including the "One Lake" project for the Pearl River, have been out of the spotlight and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' technical review for nearly four years since scoping meetings in fall 2013.
Where the Pearl River Flows
Environmental groups and downstream communities in Louisiana and Mississippi are keeping a sharp eye on any proposed levee or lake project in Jackson, such as the current "One Lake" strategy, due to potential impacts of damming water further south.
Much Ado About Flooding: How 'One Lake' Could Change the Pearl River
People like to settle near rivers due to their need for water, good soil and potential food sources a river can provide, not to mention recreation. Still, it is important to remember that flooding is a natural part of a life of a river, Ben Emanuel of the American Rivers Association says.
‘One Lake’ Can’t Outsmart Nature
A new Pearl River dam and lake raise huge concerns for the short and long term: lots of lights and lots of traffic; new flooding downstream in Mississippi and Louisiana; and negative impacts to industry, wildlife, air and water quality, Gulf fisheries, recreation and public health.
‘One Lake’ Tax Sails Forward
Previous plans to dramatically remake the portion of the Pearl River that flows through the Jackson metropolitan area ran aground, but legislation is sailing toward the governor's desk that would pay for the project by taxing selected property in the new "One Lake" footprint.
‘One Lake’ Supporters Banking on Federal Bill
The "One Lake" flood-control/development project will move forward under a new U.S. president and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, members of the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District say.
'One Lake’ Plan Moving Forward
Finding a way to prevent the kind of flooding that left downtown Jackson underwater in the Great Easter Flood of 1979—while still getting the most use out of the river with development and recreational use—is the stated goal of the Pearl River Vision Foundation.
Conservationists: 'One Lake' Endangers Pearl River
A conservation group has declared the Pearl River one of the Top 10 Endangered Rivers for 2015 because a dam project proposed south of Jackson might threaten areas of the river downstream.
‘One Lake’ Draws Mixed Reax
After years of planning, debate and revision, public sentiment about a plan to dam part of the Pearl River and create a lake that is designed to reduce flooding in Jackson and draw real-estate investments still appears to be muddled.
McGowan: 'Everybody's Together' on One Lake
Since scrapping the highly controversial Two Lakes plan in favor of a more modest single-lake concept in 2011, Levee Board meetings have been relatively tame.
One Lake a ‘Game Changer'?
Turtles like the proposed "One Lake" flood-control plan. Now developers just have to convince the U.S. Corps of Engineers and Jackson area residents who'll be affected.
Levee Board Talking Tax Hikes
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board may be gearing up for a district expansion to pay for a proposed flood-control plan for the Pearl River.
McGowan Confronts Board Over Levee Confusion
Jackson oilman and "Two Lakes" developer John McGowan went before the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board this morning, demanding clarity over whether the board's one-lake plan would include expanded levees.
Stop Stalling Flood Control
It becomes more clear with every Levee Board meeting that the strategy of hard-core Two Lakes development supporters is to stall any alternative plan that could render their plan moot—even though the local levee board has voted to pursue other options. That strategy is severely flawed.
State Again Tries to Take Over Levee Board
A member of the Two Lakes of Mississippi Foundation rattled the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board at its meeting this morning with another attempt by state officials to usurp the authority of the local Levee Board. Board attorney Trudy Allen told the board that Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has listed the Levee Board, which to date has operated independently of the state, as a state agency in Mississippi's 2010 Blue Book of state agencies.
Engineers Want Lower Lake Plan on Table
An engineer urged the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board last week to press the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.
The Lakes Plan That Won't Recede
Although both the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the local Levee Board have rejected the Two Lakes development/flood-control plan, its supporters are vowing not to give up.
Two Lakes Developer Long a 'Green' Foe
Northside Sun Publisher Wyatt Emmerich declared in a recent column that the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District should appoint Jackson oilman John McGowan to head the board's technical advisory committee. The committee will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to devise flood control for the section of the Pearl River between Hinds and Rankin countiesand is considering a controversial plan developed by McGowan himself.
Jackson Lake Plans and Eminent Domain
Jackson Realtor Bob Ridgway is president of a 100-year-old exclusive hunting and fishing spot about a half mile from where County Line Road dead ends at Old Canton Road. Mule Jail Club has an eight-person membership that goes back to the 1880s, and a number of small cabins sit on pylons either within the water or on ground that is partially or totally submerged during a portion of the year. Biologists describe the territory as some of the most pristine wetland between Hinds and Rankin counties. Nevertheless, Mule Jail could lose a considerable portion of itself to lake water, just as it sacrificed a portion of itself to the making of the Ross Barnett Reservoir.
Pearl Wetlands Worth Saving?
The wetland area just east of Jackson has seen better times.
The Changing Saga of ‘Two Lakes'
Last week John McGowan of McGowan Working Partners LLC visited us here at the JFP offices for a marathon lunch session to discuss his "Two Lakes" project.
UPDATED: Two Lakes Supporters Helped Finance Defeat of Pearl Mayor
Fans of a controversial plan to develop the Pearl River had better luck installing a pro-"Two Lakes" mayor in the little town of Pearl than in the state's capital city this month.
BREAKING: 'Two Lakes' Developer McGowan Gave $6,000 to Secretive PAC
Two Lakes impresario John McGowan was the largest contributor to the controversial Better Jackson PAC that tried to defeat Harvey Johnson by using what the FBI calls "baseless" crime rankings in mailers.
Kill Two Lakes, Enhance The River
A vote this week by the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District ("Levee Board") appeared to overturn its decision of last July to support a "Lower Lake" plan based, in part, on the Levee Board-sponsored charrette featuring noted architect and city planner Andres Duany and his company, DPZ. We feel that's unfortunate, and hope the Lower Lake plan, if viable and responsible, will still be considered in the future.
