The Pearl River is a major river in Mississippi, not that anything travels along it, it is not a navigable river by most means, but it is part of our heritage. The river flows from Winston County all the way through the capital Jackson, and down through Terry (where this photo was taken) until east of Picayune where it spits into two before finally meeting the Gulf of Mexico. Sometime in the 1960’s the river just north of Jackson was dammed creating the Ross Barnett Reservoir with it’s famed 105 miles of shoreline created for recreation, and somehow flood control… however the flood control never fully worked. Easter 1979 the upper Pearl river was inundated with water, and it washed over it’s banks, many businesses in down town Jackson were flooded as well as in most cities down river, the reservoir flowed over, and many feared that the huge earthen dam would fail washing everything down stream away, this did not happen, and eventually the river returned to normal… but most who were here do remember the Flood of ’79. The river still maintains it’s flood cycle despite the reservoir, and many new “Flood Control” plans are underway to help illeviate the problem…but with recreation still being the main focus, is it really worth it?19 January, 2008
The Mighty Pearl
The Pearl River is a major river in Mississippi, not that anything travels along it, it is not a navigable river by most means, but it is part of our heritage. The river flows from Winston County all the way through the capital Jackson, and down through Terry (where this photo was taken) until east of Picayune where it spits into two before finally meeting the Gulf of Mexico. Sometime in the 1960’s the river just north of Jackson was dammed creating the Ross Barnett Reservoir with it’s famed 105 miles of shoreline created for recreation, and somehow flood control… however the flood control never fully worked. Easter 1979 the upper Pearl river was inundated with water, and it washed over it’s banks, many businesses in down town Jackson were flooded as well as in most cities down river, the reservoir flowed over, and many feared that the huge earthen dam would fail washing everything down stream away, this did not happen, and eventually the river returned to normal… but most who were here do remember the Flood of ’79. The river still maintains it’s flood cycle despite the reservoir, and many new “Flood Control” plans are underway to help illeviate the problem…but with recreation still being the main focus, is it really worth it?
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3 comments:
My house has been flooded twice. Yes it is worth it. However I blame a lot of flooding on development disturbing the water table. and building on flood plains. Have a good weekend
C.
"but it is part of our heritage."
And this is why you celebrate it. And why it should be celebrated.
I love celebrating heritage, although we don't have a river flowing by. It's old architecture which I try to celebrate. Old architecture which is still valued, restored, and still in use today.
Mari-Nanci
Yes, but when the “Flood Control” does nothing but add a beautiful lake with buildings and development right next to it, that will flood if the lake rises three feet… how is that really flood control? Now if they dropped the normal level for the lake down three feet to compete with the new development next to the shore; which would give at least a 6 foot barrier for flood control, but here that, will never happen.
Heritage is very important with me also, I love anything that is historical in any context. I think that bleeds through into many things I do.
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