Army Corps Pulls the Plug on $450 Million Mississippi Floodwater Project

A coalition of environmental scored a victory this month, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers canceled an expensive, and controversial, flood control project.

1 minute read

December 23, 2021, 10:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A diversion canal from the Yazoo River is shown from above. The river's banks are lined with industrial land uses near the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The Yazoo Diversion Canal, with access to the Port of Vicksburg. The confluence fo the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers is located in Vickburg. | Justin Wilkens / Shutterstock

The Associated Press reports that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has canceled the $450 million Yazoo Pumps flood control project planned in Mississippi for the flatlands between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers.

Environmental groups, including American Rivers, the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, Healthy Gulf, and Earthjustice, sued the Army Corps to delay the Yazoo Pumps Project. The aforementioned environmental groups put out a press release to celebrate the project's cancelation and describe the basis for their legal challenge.

The Yazoo Pumps would have drained 14,000 cubic-feet-per-second of floodwaters from farmland in the area, but the environmental group argued that the plan would leave most local communities vulnerable. "Corps data shows only 17% of the backwater would receive any flood relief from the Pumps," according to the press release.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021 in Associated Press via KTAR News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Two yellow and white Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail streetcars at station in Dallas, Texas.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region

At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

April 3, 2025 - KERA News

Blue and white Seattle Link light rail train exiting concrete Downtown Bellevue Tunnel in Bellevue, WA.

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?

Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

April 7, 2025 - Todd Litman

Amtrak Acela

How to Make US Trains Faster

Changes to boarding platforms and a switch to electric trains could improve U.S. passenger rail service without the added cost of high-speed rail.

1 hour ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Mural showing tools and craft supplies with banner reading 'Things are made here' in front of makerspace in Columbia, Missouri.

Columbia’s Revitalized ‘Loop’ Is a Hub for Local Entrepreneurs

A focus on small businesses is helping a commercial corridor in Columbia, Missouri thrive.

2 hours ago - Next City

Close-up of wood log with emerald ash borer larvae tracks etched in the wood.

Invasive Insect Threatens Minnesota’s Ash Forests

The Emerald Ash Borer is a rapidly spreading invasive pest threatening Minnesota’s ash trees, and homeowners are encouraged to plant diverse replacement species, avoid moving ash firewood, and monitor for signs of infestation.

3 hours ago - The Bemidji Pioneer