State agency highlights green infrastructure projects to reduce flooding at Moss Point schools and neighborhood park

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources staff updated the commission on green-infrastructure stormwater projects in Moss Point designed to reduce street and school flooding and to improve water quality.

Charmaine, public affairs/NEAR program staff, described a completed phase of green-infrastructure work at Creole Elementary that includes multiple rain gardens and curb-island features, installed monitoring devices and plans for a phase 2 to reduce flooding that had previously prevented parents from picking up students.

The nut graf: the projects combine small-scale, vegetation-based stormwater features with traditional gray infrastructure to slow runoff, capture pollutants and reduce nutrient loads entering waterways. Staff said the approach aims to produce cumulative benefits when multiple small projects are implemented across the city.

Staff also presented concept plans for a Frederick Street Stormwater Park adjacent to church-owned land; the city is negotiating purchase of the property and the department is seeking implementation funding to buy and construct the park. Charmaine said the park would serve both as community green space and as a stormwater retention facility that could help reduce local street flooding.

Commissioners discussed partnerships: staff said the NEAR program is functioning as a coordination hub, convening city planners, county staff, Coastal Resources Management and federal partners quarterly to align projects and avoid duplicative work. "These types of projects in Moss Point are a very good solution to urban flooding," Charmaine said, noting partners will monitor water capture and pollutant removal.

Less-critical details: staff said the projects also have recreational and quality-of-life benefits, including walking space and play areas, and that DEQ has expressed interest in nutrient-reduction monitoring.