Progress being made on Pearl River after meeting with multiple agencies in Jackson

The water flow in the Pearl River at Walkiah Bluff has long been an area of concern for the long-term health of the river, it’s habitat for endangered fish species., and the impact to the Pearl River (often referred to as East Pearl) flow as it winds southward. In the past year, more and more emphasis has been placed on correcting existing problems.

Jeremy Magri (from May 2018) explaining the problem at the WSW

In September, 2018, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Passage Program in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and with cooperation from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, worked to remove a log jam that had created a treacherous passage on the Pearl River in Mississippi at the Louisiana/Mississippi border, near the town of Bogalusa. Two other areas on the Pearl River still need to be addressed per consensus of those familiar with the East Pearl.

“The Cut” near the Government Ditch and the man-made diversion known as the Wilson Slough Weir (WSW) near Walkiah Bluff still pose serious problems on the East Pearl. This weir has long been viewed by those who use the Pearl River as a failed attempt by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) to create a 50/50 split of the water flow of the Pearl River.