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Globally significant Pascagoula River deserves protection
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by Jay Mengel, Cap’n Jays Charters, Gautier | 12, 2004

Although the Pascagoula River is recognized globally for it’s ecological significance, until recently, only a relatively few had any real appreciation for the river.

Those traveling highways North or South on the major routes along the river (Highway 57 and Highway 63) never see the river since the roads are built far from the high water line and far from the main stream of the river. East-west travelers see the river from only five existing bridges between Merrill and the Coast. Those who live, work, or play on the river and its backwaters are the select few who have developed a sense of place with this river. As a result of the recent media hype, the number of people sensing a connection with this magnificent river is increasing.
 
Individuals are beginning to appreciate the significance of this watershed on all of our lives. We are realizing how our lives, our health and welfare, and this river are inextricably linked just as the river is inextricably linked with a tangled maze of connections to everyone and everything in the surrounding area and beyond. Although the main stream of the Pascagoula River through George and Jackson Counties measures little more than 80 miles, the entire length of riparian habitat including all rivers, streams, creeks, and runs that comprise this tributary system measures in the thousands of miles.

Twenty-two counties in Mississippi and three in Alabama drain into the Pascagoula and eventually into the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. Little imagination is needed for one to realize that whatever happens to or in the tributaries of the Pascagoula, eventually effects the Gulf. A few drops of oil, leaked from a vehicle near Meridian or Hattiesburg, then washed from a driveway or into a roadside ditch, are not diluted by the volumes of water in the river. Instead, they combine with millions of similar drops from across the 10,000 square miles of the watershed and flow southward impacting the existing life along the river and into the Gulf.

This oil and a few extra grains of fertilizer or pesticide spread on lawns and fields throughout the area are a poisonous soup that impacts the entire river system. Garnish this soup with a dose of fecal coliform from malfunctioning septic tanks (and in some cases the actual flow of raw sewage) and one can easily see how the river is impacted.

The impact is real and affects many. Oysters become tainted and cannot be harvested or safely eaten. Microorganisms that form the bottom of the food chain survive in lesser numbers, which in turn leads to a reduction in the numbers of larger species that have economic value. Old-timers say, "Fishin’ ain’t what it used to be." Do we need to wonder why?

The implications go much farther than a good day of fishing on the river. Along the Coast, jobs have been lost due to the closure of oyster reefs because of the fecal coliform count. Tourism suffers when beaches empty because of what may have happened inland. Tourists avoid areas with polluted beaches regardless of what other amenities are offered. Development that is not thought out also has serious impact.

Recently the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, who admitted to not knowing about a developer’s past record, approved a zoning change to allow him to move forward with a development that could have a significant ecological impact to the local community and the Coast. History may repeat itself. Communities like Pecan, Turkey Creek, and Orange Grove suffer flooding--a result of improper development and construction that overlooked the environmental impacts. The community at large is paying a heavy price for the indiscretions of previous administrations and developers. Information that was presented at recent hearings would lead us to expect to see the wetlands drained to reduce the mosquitoes, and the naturally slow-moving bayous of the marsh allowed to be "flushed" (in the words of the developer.) "Flushing" our coastal bayous could be an environmental disaster.

It is truly a shame that all the positive recent press on the importance of the Pascagoula Basin and related environment has been overlooked by the people responsible for the planning of the future of this county. They see the potential short-term gain for the local community, but are completely unaware of the subtle but critical links to the rest of the state. They are not willing to take a closer look to determine if there may be avoidable impacts.

Billions of federal and state taxes annually go to the rebuilding of destroyed natural areas. Similar sums reconstruct bridges and causeways, and correct drainage problems existing because decision-makers overlooked or ignored the environment. The decision made by the Board of Supervisors does not affect just the St. Andrews area, not just Jackson County, but the whole of Mississippi and the whole of the U.S. I know that the taxpayer in Peoria, Ill., would be delighted to know that his hard earned money may go to correct ecological problems that could have been prevented.

I digress, but the point is that the entire system is entwined. What happens elsewhere effects us; what happens here impacts others. Unless we begin to show more responsible stewardship we will reach a point where we have to bear the major expense of reclaiming what we’ve lost. It may not happen in our lifetime, but it will happen if we do not change our approach. We need to accept that every time man impacts the delicate balance that exists in our complex system, the actual loss is many times the apparent loss and often irreversible. We owe it to ourselves and our heirs to evaluate closely everything we do.

The Mississippi Press is having a most positive impact by enlightening many who have not have had the direct exposure to our wonderful resource. Every individual who learns from the wealth of information you and others are now providing becomes an educated and a more concerned citizen, and a better steward.

Editor’s note: A slightly different version of this article originally appeared in the Mississippi Press. For more information the naturalist charters on the Pascagoula River led by Cap’n Jay, call 228-369-0901.