Congressman Cohen Applauds Vote to Transfer Memphis Flood Control to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

MEMPHIS -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today was pleased to see the Water Resources Development Act pass the House, a measure which includes his language transferring the operation and maintenance of the Memphis flood control system to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Worked out in collaboration with the City of Memphis, the change is consistent with the Corps' Mississippi River and Tributaries Project management of other flood control systems in the lower Mississippi River Valley that protect communities from devastating flooding.

Memphis is currently the only city along the Lower Mississippi River that owns, operates and maintains the structural systems that provide protection from Mississippi River floods.

The measure passed by voice vote.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"Protecting communities against flooding is a national priority and should be handled as a national responsibility. I'm pleased the Army Corps of Engineers will now manage our massive flood control system as part of its nationwide program. This long-overdue change is consistent with the Corps' approach to flood mitigation elsewhere along the Lower Mississippi, and ensures flood control efforts and expenses fairly reflect national priorities."

Memphis' flood control system includes 17,089 feet of flood wall, 5.5 miles of levees, 27 enclosures, and seven pumping stations along the flood backwaters of the Mississippi River-Wolf River-Nonconnah Creek Backwater Flood Control System. These flood control structures protect some of the city's most cherished assets, such as the world-renowned St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Bass Pro Shops flagship facility at the Pyramid, a major Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and many large industrial operations as well as major interstate railroad facilities.

At the bill markup in July, Congressman Cohen spoke in favor of the measure. See those remarks here.

The overall Water Resources Development Act, typically passed every two years with bipartisan support, continues the tradition of addressing the local water resources needs of our nation in a predictable and transparent process, as well as ensuring that Congress exercises its constitutional oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.