America's Most Endangered Rivers - (Page 36) NUMBER 9 Pe a r l R i ve r MISSISSIPPI , LO U I S I A N A THR E AT : IR R E S P O N S I B L E F L O O D P L A I N D E V E L O P M E N T Summary The Pearl River is a recreation oasis for nearby communities, an important source of drinking water, and an essential refuge for fish and wildlife. But developers want to dam and dredge the river to create artificial lakes and islands for private development at a staggering cost to taxpayers. This boondoggle would destroy vital floodplain wetlands, cause irreparable harm to the Pearl River, and actually place people in the path of potential floods. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local governments need to reject this proposal for private profit at taxpayer expense and instead champion a comprehensive plan to protect and restore the Pearl River and its natural flood protection attributes. The River Rolling through river towns such as Jackson, Columbia, and Pearlington, MS and Bogalusa, LA, the Pearl River extends 490 miles from central Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, forming a piece of the Louisiana-Mississippi border. The river basin is home to a host of federally-listed threatened and endangered species including the Gulf sturgeon, Louisiana black bear, and ringed map turtle, and provides critical stopover habitat for migratory birds. The Pearl River is extremely popular with canoeists, picnickers, fishermen and campers throughout the basin, and provides drinking water for many of Jackson’s 185,000 residents. Forested wetlands sustained by the Pearl provide important services to the city, including natural flood protection and an estimated $6.8 million in rain and stormwater treatment services. Of national significance, freshwater from the Pearl is essential for supporting oyster, shrimp and fish populations in Lake Borgne and the Mississippi Sound. The Pearl’s waters also are vital for sustaining wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico, which provide hurricane and storm surge protection to coastal communities. PEARL RIVER AT-A-GLANCE RIVER LENGTH: 490 miles WATERSHED AREA: 8,760 square miles LARGEST CITY IN THE WATERSHED: Jackson, MS (pop. 185,000) PERCENTAGE OF TREE COVER WATERSHED: 69% DID YOU KNOW? The Pearl provides $6.8 million in stormwater treatment services to the city of Jackson. IN A M E R I C A’ S M O S T E N DA N G E R E D R I V E R S ™ : 2008 EDITION | PEARL RIVER W W W. A M E R I C A N R I V E R S . O R G DAVID LEGG http://www.americanrivers.org
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