WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR, 1st) joined Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln today to announce approval of a flood prevention plan for the Departee Creek Watershed, a comprehensive project for flood protection, water quality and soil conservation in Independence and Jackson counties.
Members of the delegation have been urging their colleagues in both chambers to pass the Departee Creek Watershed resolution, thereby allowing the flood prevention plan to move forward and authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to provide cost-share funds for the project.
“Flash floods in Departee Creek have resulted in significant financial hardship for our farmers and families in Independence and Jackson Counties,” Pryor said. “It’s been a long time in coming, but I’m glad there was a breakthrough and was pleased to help convince my Senate colleagues of this project’s importance. The authorization will help protect our infrastructure and serve as an important component for economic development in the region.”
"This is a tremendous breakthrough for all of those who’ve been affected by years of severe flooding in this region," Lincoln said. "With a flood prevention plan in place, I now look forward to working with Senator Pryor and Congressman Berry to secure the funds necessary to carry out the project."
"The protection of Jackson and Independence County homes, streets, bridges and croplands is vital to the health and development of Rural Arkansas; without it, we would be unable to plan for infrastructure improvements necessary to grow these rural counties,” Berry said. “Passage of the Departee Creek Resolution represents an investment in Arkansas that will pay dividends for the residents of local counties, the state and the nation. I will work to secure the future funding needed to implement the Departee Creek Watershed Flood Prevention plan.”
The Departee Creek flood prevention project has taken decades to get off the ground. The plan had to meet provisions under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, which calls for all projects with a water detention capacity greater than 2,500 acre feet to be approved by the respective Senate and House environmental committees. To receive Congressional approval, an Environmental Impact Study and Final Watershed Plan were conducted and later submitted to Congress in August 2000. The studies received approval by the House of Representatives on July 23, 2003 and received Senate approval on April 7, 2004. Delegation members today received official word from the Department of Agriculture that the project is now officially eligible to receive Federal funding.
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