Posted on August 26, 2024
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Commanding General and 55th Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon has signed a Chief’s Report recommending the Hatchie–Loosahatchie Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study to Congress for authorization.
“Achieving this milestone for the Hatchie-Loosahatchie Ecosystem Restoration Study is historic for Memphis and the Lower Mississippi,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser said. “I appreciate the dedication it takes to reach a conclusion of this magnitude and I want to thank the entire project delivery team (PDT) for taking the first Lower Mississippi large-scale ecosystem restoration project from a lofty goal to a feasible, constructible one.”
The study began in 2021 with a Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement signing between the Memphis District and the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee (LMRCC), the non-federal sponsor. It was conducted to examine and address problems, opportunities, and solution-viability associated with Mississippi River ecosystem degradation along the Hatchie-Loosahatchie River reach, miles 775-736.
“Completing this three-year feasibility study is a huge step towards completing what will be a very long journey,” Memphis District Program Manager and Study Project Manager Jason Allmon said. “The Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment identified seven additional reaches for prioritized ecological restoration in addition to the Hatchie–Loosahatchie river reach, so there is much more work to be done once construction is authorized. With that said, this is a very proud moment for the team, and it was an honor to have had a part in its execution and completion!”
The Chief’s Report outlines USACE’s Ecosystem Restoration Plan to address ecologically important habitats along this 39-mile Mississippi River stretch in Arkansas and Tennessee without causing conflict with existing USACE navigation and flood-risk management mission areas.
The plan includes 38 different ecological restoration measures and two recreational measures that will benefit 6,282 acres.
If implemented, the plan would provide 4,673 habitat units annually to eight unique habitats, including bottomland hardwood, cypress-tupelo, meander scarp, moist soil, riverfront, seasonally herbaceous wetland, secondary channels, and slough.
These habitats support federally listed endangered aquatic species and critical vegetative habitats that host a number of species of conservation concern.
The action plan would also contribute to the hydrologic restoration of meander scarps, which are rare geological features that no longer occur naturally due to engineering controls along the Mississippi River.
Finally, the Ecosystem Restoration Plan provides significant benefits to disadvantaged communities by enhancing nearby resource-managed areas. These enhancement measures would provide communities with greater access potential for recreational activities.
“The Chief’s signing of this report is a significant milestone, and this restoration project brings increased ecologic and recreational value to the nation both immediately, and long term,” Memphis District Biologist and PDT environmental lead for the Hatchie–Loosahatchie Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study Mike Thron said.
According to the Chief’s Report, the recommended plan expects several species to benefit indirectly with the bridge replacement measure connecting wildlife to an additional 15,000 acres (approximately) of existing contiguous habitat similar to the restored habitats.
With the signing of the Chief’s Report, the study’s recommended plan will begin the process of federal review and congressional consideration for inclusion in future Water Resources Development Act legislation to fund implementation.
Mainline Mississippi River levees border the study area on the west and high bluffs on the east. It includes riverside lands and waterbodies known as the batture, which, totaling approximately 146,000 acres, acts as the active floodplain along this reach.
The river also supports over 90 freshwater fish species, approximately 50 native mussel species, and several federal threatened or endangered species.
Watch the USACE Headquarters-produced video documenting the Chief’s Report signing here: https://youtu.be/TnFuYtrZ8T4.
For more information on the Hatchie–Loosahatchie Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study, please visit the Memphis District’s Hatchie-Loosahatchie Mississippi River Ecosystem Restoration Study webpage located at https://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Stewardship/Hatchie-Loosahatchie-Mississippi-River-Ecosystem-Restoration-Study/.
