Army Corps outlines scope and stakeholder process for Lower Mississippi River comprehensive study

Colonel Colin Jones, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, told the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board that the Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study is a multi‑district, multi‑state effort authorized by Congress to develop actionable recommendations for river operations, infrastructure and ecosystem management.

Why this matters: the Corps said the study seeks recommendations to improve resilience and adaptability of the Mississippi River and Tributaries system for the next 50–100 years, and it could lead to operational changes or construction that affect flood risk, navigation and coastal ecosystems in Louisiana and six other states.

Jones said the study area runs roughly 975 river miles from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico and spans seven states. He reviewed the study’s authorities, citing the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, Section 213 (authorization for the comprehensive study with an approximate five‑year, $25 million scope) and a December 2022 authorization that allowed the Corps to proceed with 100 percent federal funding for study tasks. He said the Corps intends to complete a chief’s report with actionable recommendations by December 2027.

Jones summarized outreach to date: an internal phase‑0 inventory of existing data and models, formation of an integrated project office and governance structure, dozens of interagency coordination meetings, and more than 32 public meetings across the seven states. He said the Corps published a public scoping report summarizing early input and that quarterly public updates continue to be held. Anne Joellos, senior project manager for the study, joined Jones and was identified as leading the integrated project office.

Preliminary measures under study include operational modifications, such as “dynamic operation” of the Old River Control Complex to examine whether shifting the current 70/30 split between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya can provide environmental benefits or reduced flood risk at certain times. Jones said modeling runs are also evaluating dredging strategies and modifications to flow management that could benefit ecosystem restoration in the Lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya basins.

On saltwater intrusion, Jones said the Corps and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development are reviewing the Mississippi River Ship Channel saltwater-mitigation plan, including the existing underwater saltwater sill near River Mile 64 and potential alternative solutions or locations. He noted a separate Corps study of saltwater mitigation for the ship channel is being updated and that CPRA will be provided the findings.

On funding, Jones said the study has a $25 million authorization and the Corps is structuring scope so the study can be completed within that amount. He acknowledged tiered—and potentially costlier—follow‑on studies would require additional appropriations. During board questions Corps staff said they had been appropriated some FY25 funds and were seeking supplemental FY25 and FY26 funding to keep the program on schedule.

Jones emphasized state and tribal engagement, noting a state partnering group and regular governance meetings that include CPRA staff and other state designees. He urged stakeholders to sign up on the study’s stakeholder list via the project website and QR code the Corps provided.

Ending: Jones thanked the board for engagement and said the Corps will return with further updates as the study advances toward alternative selection and the chief’s report.