Mississippi River Commission meets in Cairo Monday

The Mississippi River Commission will conduct its annual spring high-water inspection trip along the river next week. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the commission uses the tour to host public meetings in select towns to listen to public concerns, ideas and issues.

The Memphis district will host a meeting in Cairo on Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the City Front. The meeting will be open to the public.

The president of the commission will provide a report on national and regional issues affecting the Army Corps of Engineers and projects on the Mississippi and its tributaries. District commanders will provide an overview of current project issues in their respective area. At the end, local organizations and members of the public will present views and comments on any issue affecting the commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs or projects.

The Mississippi River Commission was established by an Act of Congress in 1879. Congress charged the MRC with the mission to develop plans to improve the condition of the Mississippi River, foster navigation, promote commerce, and prevent destructive floods—perhaps the most difficult and complex engineering problem ever undertaken by the federal government up to that time.

Each member is appointed by the President.  The panel consists of three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officers, one member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and three civilians, two of whom must be civil engineers.

The MRC is headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi.