Andrew Whitehurst

Louisiana National Estuarine Research Reserve Pontchartrain

Louisiana’s First National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)

The effort towards creating a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Louisiana is being hosted by LSU Sea Grant, and by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  February saw the completion of nine town hall meetings by site selection committees across three regions of coastal Louisiana.

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Eubanks Creek Algae Bloom LeFleurs Bluff S.P. behind ballfields credit: PRK

Jackson Eubanks Creek Sewage Spill: Nutrient Pollution Implications for Pearl River “One Lake” Project

A September algae bloom on Eubanks Creek in Jackson, sparked by a sewage spill, shows what is happening on the Pearl River’s urban tributaries. The implications for the Rankin Hinds Drainage District’s One Lake plan are that nutrients from the urban creeks are easily captured in a wide, slow flowing lake section made by dredging and further damming the Pearl River. If Jackson’s sewage issues are not addressed, the lake can grow the same kind of harmful algae blooms as Eubanks Creek.

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The urban section of the Pearl River in Jackson, MS, downstream of the Ross Barnett Reservoir

Pearl River One Lake Plan Update Part 2: Will the next DEIS version be any better?

Part 2 of the Pearl River Update blog looks at what to anticipate in the next version of the Rankin Hinds Drainage District’s Pearl River One Lake DEIS. The non-federal sponsor is expected to send its final edited version to the Army Assistant Secretary for Civil Works in September.

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Update on Pearl River One Lake project Part 1: Next Steps, FOIA Silence, and Tight-Lipped Agencies

One Lake Update Summer 2021 Blog Part 1:After three years of waiting, a completed draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) should be returned to the Army Secretary at the Pentagon in September for his review and a decison. The non-federal sponsors of the One Lake project have been quiet about the draft’s progress and have rebuffed Freedom of Information Act requests.

Update on Pearl River One Lake project Part 1: Next Steps, FOIA Silence, and Tight-Lipped Agencies Read More »

Water quality standards on the Pearl River affect both Mississippi and Louisiana. A winter day in LeFleur's Bluff State Park along the Pearl River in Jackson. Credit: Andrew Whitehurst

Biggest changes in 20 years to Mississippi’s State-wide Water Quality Standards

Mississippi has drafted the most significant changes to its state water quality standards in over 20 years. The amendments are a big deal and are part of the State’s Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards which is required by the Clean Water Act and the U.S. EPA.

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