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The legislation, known as the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), now includes language requiring the local project sponsor, the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District (Drainage District), to follow proper procedures for the ill-conceived, highly destructive proposal locally known as “One Lake”. One Lake involves damming and dredging the Pearl River near Jackson to promote real estate development under the guise of providing dubious flood protection for the metro area. The provision blocks One Lake from moving forward until the Corps determines that, “the project is technically feasible, economically justified and environmentally acceptable”.(See Section 1176 of https://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/s_3021_americas_water_inf...)

The language also requires the Drainage District to design the project in a manner that addresses all adverse downstream impacts and to provide a detailed mitigation plan as required by law. In a press release, Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise (R-01),stated, "After hearing concerns from constituents, local officials and State Senator Sharon Hewitt who has been a leader on this issue, I fought to include this language that will ensure that any impact to the Lower Pearl River is addressed before this project can move forward. Before this project is allowed to move forward, we need to know that it will not decrease the water flow downriver, impact our coastal restoration efforts, or result in additional flooding in areas downriver from the proposed project.” (See https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/one-lake-must-undergo-thorough-e...)

Mississippi Congressman Bennie G. Thompson(D-02),whose District the project resides in, and would allegedly benefit, has raised strong objections to One Lake and has urged theCorps to reject it. In a recent letter to the corps, Congressman Thompson, Ranking Member of the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security, cited “grave concerns” over “unacceptable” environmental harm, costs to taxpayers and his constituents, and health and safety impacts posed by the project.

The voices of these political leaders join a growing chorus opposing One Lake--from the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce and nature-tour businesses to conservation groups and the recreational-commercial fishing sector to local counties, parishes, and cities, and state natural resource agencies.
“This mounting opposition against One Lake across political, economic, and geographic spectrums speaks volumes,” stated Jill Mastrototaro, Policy Director for Audubon Mississippi.
“One Lake is little more than a private real estate development scheme, financed at taxpayer’s expense, masquerading as flood control,” stated Louie Miller, State Director of the Mississippi Sierra Club.
Andrew Whitehurst, Water Program Director for the Gulf Restoration Network, said “This project has been short on transparency, long on salesmanship and offers nothing positive to the Lower Pearl River in either Mississippi or Louisiana. Dredging and damming to give Jackson a 1,900 acre lake is an experiment that can’t be undone if it results in reduced flows and worse water quality downstream.”