One Lake opponents say alternatives cheaper, cause less environmental impact

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Opponents of the One Lake flood control project say there are more cost effective plans that will have less environment impact.

Tuesday, members of the Mississippi Sierra Club, Audobon Mississippi and Healthy Gulf held a press conference in Jackson.

They are trying to bring attention to alternatives to the much-talked-about One Lake plan which would create a large body of water near downtown Jackson, helping to reduce flooding.

The group calls the One Lake Project a costly, destructive deal.

They believe government buyouts of homes and businesses and building bigger levees would save taxpayers money and put people and property out of harms way.

Andrew Whitehurst, Water Program Director of Healthy Gulf, said, “An alternative that’s a hybrid between alternative C, which is the lake, and B, the levees, and it tasks for a project that asks for one that won’t be threatening to downstream interest industries and ecology.”

Last week at a specially called meeting of the levee board, engineers said that if the One Lake Plan had been built, it could have taken over a foot of the most recent flood.

They also said 162 structures flooded in northeast Jackson. Only 8 would have flooded if One Lake had been in place.

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