Bridge, Phillips, Elam Drainage District News From the desk of Milton Sandy Jr
June 11, 2011
Vol 2011-5
This newsletter is directed to friends and supporters of our efforts to get something done about the repetitive flooding in Corinth and Alcorn County which on May 2, 2010, caused loss of life, public and private property and threatened public health and safety by the massive release of raw sewage into flood waters. If you have news, questions or comments, please fire away.
Rainfall Data- something to think about Flood Threat for June This past week, I received a link (http://www.uswx.com/uswx/text.php?h=1440&stn=Kcrx ) from Ms. Donna Briggs at the Corinth Airport and Gary Chandler at the Alliance to the rainfall data now being collected and stored on an hourly basis at the Airport. Out of curiosity, I checked this data for 4/27/2011, our last near disastrous flood. During the 24 hour period on 4/27/2011, the airport weather station showed 4.74" of rain fell that day, almost 2.5" of rain fell between 1 and 4 o’clock that morning- a 3 hour period with 1.81" falling in a single hour between 3-4 am. To put that in perspective, within the city limits of Corinth, 1,061,807,410 gallons of water fell in those 3 hours, enough to fill approximately 48,089 average size swimming pools. If every household within the city of Corinth had 10 average size swimming pools, they could have all been filled in those 3 hours. In total, over the 24 hour period, 2,241,593,422 gallons of water fell within the city limits of Corinth, enough to fill 101,521 average size swimming pools. Another way to look at it is the new surface water treatment plant will treat 10,000,000 gallons per day and would have taken over 7 months to treat the water which fell in that 24 hours.
Local Drainage History Once upon a time, in a sleepy, economically depressed corner of Northeast Mississippi, men dreamed of vast water reservoirs and a waterway that would connect Corinth and Alcorn County with the Gulf of Mexico both by way of the Tombigbee and the Mississippi River. If it had Barges on Tenn-Tom happened this way, we might be calling it the Tenn-Tusc-Tom Waterway right now. I graduated from high school around this time, and have lived here all my life but somehow this story had totally passed me by. This was called to my attention several months ago. Since I had never heard it before, thought I would pass it on here so others might contribute other pieces to the story. Would you ever imagine barges like those pictured above floating down Bridge Creek past Hillandale Country Club, behind where WalMart is located, behind the present Corinth sewer plant headed westward toward the Tuscumbia Reservoir where they would bear left turning southward down the Tuscumbia to locks below Booneville where they would make the connection to the Tombigbee Watershed following pretty much the same waterway course as the Tenn-Tom through
Contact: Milton Sandy Jr 662-286-6087 - Fax 287-4187 - E-mail mlsandy@tsixroads.com
Fulton to the ultimate destination of Mobile? Well that was the dream fairly well-researched and proposed by Dr. Richard Bascomb Warriner, Jr. at some time in the early 1960's as the Tenn-Tom Waterway was creeping closer to a reality. According to the charts and graphs left by Dr. Warriner, the amount of dirt to be moved in his proposed two smaller cuts would have been less than what was required in the single cut course of the route built through Tishomingo County. Routing of the waterway through Alcorn County would have had other significant future advantages to this area as well. The Tenn-Tom was the largest earth-moving project in world history, requiring the excavation of nearly 310 million cubic yards of soil. Among the wild ideas which I'm glad never came to pass during it's proposed construction (before nuclear testing was stopped) was a suggestion that underground nuclear explosions be used to create the canal instead of excavation. With present day gas fracturing practices being questioned about their impact on earth seismic conditions and water quality, it is terrifying to think what the long term impact of underground nuclear explosions could have been. My barber, who lives near Iuka, this past week was just telling me about their water well which went dry shortly after the Tenn-Tom was completed and never recovered. Everyone knows that the Tenn-Tom waterway was a long time in the making. In 1874, engineers first looked into the project under the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant. Numerous studies were commissioned in the decades that followed, eventually leading to Congressional approval in 1946. In my father's papers I found a letter from Senator Bilbo in 1944 thanking him for his support of the Tenn-Tom Waterway. When completed, the Tenn-Tom waterway’s total cost, including non-federal costs, was $1.992 billion. While considered extravagant at the time, a 2009 university study documented that since 1996, the United States has realized a direct, indirect, and induced economic impact of nearly $43 billion due to the existence and usage of the Tenn-Tom Waterway and it has directly created more than 29,000 jobs. Since the discovery of this country by Europeans, men had dreamed and schemed of ways to shorten water transportation distances. French explorers in the 1700's mentioned the possibility of a canal to shorten the distance from the Tennessee River to the Gulf of Mexico. From 1827 through 1833, Davy Crockett served in the Congress of the United States as a representative from Tennessee. During this time, a canal was proposed which he supported to connect the Tennessee River with the Hatchie River near Bolivar, TN, shortening the shipping distance by water to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico by over 800 miles. However, in his run for a fourth term in Congress, Crockett was defeated by a narrow margin and shortly thereafter left Tennessee for Texas where he became a legendary figure in American History. Locally, I am told that Waukomis Lake was formed by a railroad levee, built for a railroad to connect Corinth with Amory, Mississippi, the objective being a land transportation link to connect freight shipments from the nearby Tennessee River to the Tombigbee River near Amory.
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From the documentation I examined it appears that Dr. Warriner's idea came from a study done by A.M. Mallory, Jr., PE, “The West Tennessee Watershed: A Preliminary Report”, around 1964, apparently sponsored by the Corps of Engineers studying the watershed potential in the area from Memphis to Cairo. At that time, an intense environmental battle was going on over the future of the lower Hatchie River water basin which ultimately closed the discussion of any use of that portion of the river for navigation. The nature conservancy named the Hatchie River “One of 75 Last Great Places” on earth most deserving of protection. In 1982, the Hatchie River was listed as a “Scenic River” under the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Act. The Hatchie River, which originates in Mississippi and flows north, had been used for navigation since settlement in Hardeman County, Tennessee began in 1819 with the first town in 1823 called Hatchie Town. Due to constant flooding, the town was moved one mile south to its present location and in 1825 the name of the town was changed to Bolivar. From the first steamship arrival in 1828 until the late 1880's, Bolivar enjoyed a thriving river trade. As railroads gained increased prominence in the area, steamboat transportation declined. The upper Hatchie River in Alcorn and Tippah County was never used for steamboat navigation but it was used during the late 1880's through 1910 for transportation of logs to the nearest sawmill in Pocahontas, Tennessee. Logs were marked for ownership and fastened together along the banks of the Hatchie in rafts. When the floods came, the rafts of logs were ridden downstream to Pocahontas. Men built fires on mounds of dirt placed on top of the rafts to see and to warm themselves on the floating journeys which could last for several weeks. The Mallory Report proposed a dam at Bolivar, TN, which would have raised the average water height of the Hatchie to 414' which is the average Page 3/9
height of Pickwick Lake most of the year. Dr. Warriner's family had and still maintains a cabin at Pickwick so this connection must have started him thinking about extending the waterway from Pickwick both ways- to the Mississippi River via the Hatchie and to the Gulf of Mexico via the Tombigbee- all through Alcorn County. The key to this plan were three structures through Alcorn County as shown on the map above. Structure No. 1 consisted of a lock and dam near the Tennessee State line which would have created a vast reservoir on the Tuscumbia just west of the present city limits of Corinth. Imagine topping the hill on Hwy 72 just west of the hospital and going across approximately a 2 mile bridge across the Tuscumbia River reservoir. Structure No. 2 would have been located near Liddon Lake south of Hwy 72 and would be a lock and dam connecting the cut necessary between Bridge Canal and Seven Mile Creek near Box Chapel Methodist Church. Structure No. 3 would have been south of Pickwick Dam and would have created a reservoir on Chambers Creek backed up into the Kendrick area. The elevations and size of these structures are illustrated in the diagram at right. The other cut would have come from dredging and at the headwaters of the Tuscumbia Canal below Booneville where the connection to the Tombigbee would have been established through Martins and Browns Creeks. Each of these cuts were diagrammed in the drawings below. While these were not extensive engineering studies, they do reflect a Three retaining structures in Alcorn County great deal of thought and conceptual grasp of Page 4/9
drainage and familiarity with local topography. Dr. Warriner's report states: “Apparently, in the U. S. Corps of Engineers, there has been no top level study of 'What is the best route to follow in going from the Tombigbee River to the Tennessee River or to the Mississippi River?' Individuals at the top have each studied the problem from a feasibility study originating from their district (Nashville and Mobile, the Hatchie Watershed falls within the Memphis District). This fact was confirmed when each district was questioned.�
Bridge Creek to Pickwick cut depicted in Brown on combined comparison chart below.
Tenn-Tom cut from Pickwick to Bay Springs Page 5/9
Tuscumbia cut below Booneville depicted in Yellow on combined comparison chart below.
Comparison of single cut Tenn-Tom route as built to dual cut Alcorn County route via Tuscumbia Canal Page 6/9
Dr. Warriner's report gives many economic reasons for the proposed waterway. “Apparently there are very few areas where there are more poor farmers and poor city dwellers, both black and white, than in the area in North Mississippi and S.West Tennessee. In our five counties, 37% of families make $2500.00 or less. Desoto 42%, Marshall 45%, at poverty level or below. Mike Foster, TVA Economic Secretary, confirmed the fact that the counties along the Mississippi, Tennessee Line from Corinth to Memphis both in Tennessee and Mississippi are about the poorest economically in the South. The idea for this canal begins as a result of financial concern for under paid people.” When I graduated from college in the 1960's, I can confirm that this was a fairly common fact- the majority of my classmates had to leave the state to find employment elsewhere. It is rather amazing that all this information was compiled and assembled without computers, without the internet, just a collaboration among some truly unique men in this community. Other issues that Dr. Warriner pointed out were very much ahead of his time include: “Water pollution needs vital consideration now. ...Water is more valuable than gold, if you do not have enough water. ...We in the Hatchie River Watershed have enough water. We desire to save it, to profit from its presence, to use it as a link between three great rivers, the Mississippi, the Tennessee, and the Tombigbee.” It is with great respect that I document what I consider this untold story in our local drainage history with my hope that we can give as much insight to our flooding and drainage issues as Dr. Warriner, Jr. and Sr., Hank Worsham and Bob Scott, III, gave to this dream they thought about and promoted in the 1960's. Following the men who dredged the canals that drained Alcorn County, I consider these men having left some pretty big footprints. Dr. Richard Warriner, III, now a pediatric dentist in Tupelo, was kind enough to lend me maps and documentation in his father's personal papers that helped flesh out this story. According to Richard, he believes this plan was promoted by his father Dr. Richard Warriner, Jr. and his grandfather, Dr. Richard Warriner, Sr. Mr. Frank (Hank) Worsham, III, and Mr. Robert Albert (Bob) Scott, III, are also credited with drawing the charts and providing engineering consultation. Dr. Richard Warriner, Jr., was a much loved family doctor in Corinth, MS where he practiced medicine for 42 years. Along with his wife who he married in 1935, Ellen Dr. Richard Warriner, III Lowry Hayes of Decatur, Georgia, they were active in civic, church and community affairs throughout their lifetimes. Dr. Warriner, Jr. and Ellen were instrumental in the acquisition of what I think is the single most important historical document about the early history of Corinth which were the Miller Sketches. They discovered, acquired and donated these sketches of pre-Civil War Corinth to the Corinth Public Library. The Miller Sketches have been the subject of much scholarly research on early Page 7/9
Corinth history and were instrumental in Stephanie Sandy's research which led to the location of the Civil War era Contraband Camp. Dr. Richard Warriner, Sr. practiced dentistry in Corinth until his retirement in 1969 and was always active in community affairs. His father, Dr. James Alfred Warriner, had been a pioneer dentist who moved to Corinth from Virginia in the mid 1800's and married Ms. Mary Florence Martin here in 1878. Mr. Ben Frank (Hank) Worsham, III, was a talented engineer and son of Ben Frank Worsham, Jr. who was one of a trio of illustrious Corinthian brothers including Clifford Green Worsham and Leroy Wesley who all attended the University of Mississippi and graduated with Civil Engineering degrees and together founded Worsham Brothers Engineering. Their father was Mr. B.F.Worsham who was a prominent Corinth attorney and industrialist mentioned in our last newsletter connected with the Corinth Brick Manufacturing Corporation. Mr. Robert Albert (Bob) Scott, III, was originally a native of Iuka, MS. After an education interrupted by WWII, he earned his degree in Civil Engineering at Mississippi State University. He married Gladys Marie (Babe) Suitor of the Kossuth community in 1948 and after work in Texas for around six years, returned to Mississippi State where he taught and did graduate study. They returned to Corinth and Bob opened Scott Engineering Company, now Corinth's oldest civil engineering firm. While Bob furnished engineering expertise to water and public works projects throughout the county, Gladys had a distinguished career in education as a teacher. Their children continue their legacy of service to the community today.
Everybody knew this was going to happen As we pointed out in newsletter #20 back in November, Asplundh Tree Expert Company was creating a dangerous situation by leaving the trees they cut in Elam Canal south of Hwy 72. Well I had the opportunity to see some of the results this past week. We received a call about a local farmer's levee being damaged after the flooding of April 27, 2011- about 3 miles downstream
Bridge Creek looking South from North side about 1/2 mile west of CR402 Bridge Page 8/9
on Bridge Canal. After some investigation, we determined the area in question was on the farm of Mr. Bennie “Butterbean” Jones. Mr. Jones was very happy to show me the area damaged by the flooding and the debris which blocked Bridge Creek and looks very much like the cut material which Asplundh started cutting and left on the ditch banks back in November, 2010. Mr. Jones was even kind enough to provide transportation in a first class 4-wheel drive on which he proudly roams his farm. Mr. Gary Mitchell was operating a tractor and bulldozer repairing the levee at the time we arrived. Mr. Mitchell recalled that clearing ditches has always been a regular winter farm task. He recalls that when he was growing up, it was always done by hand with Kaiser blades. He said that even a novice farmer back then knew you never left the cut material in the ditch- it would only cause trouble when the rains came. Mr. Jones has lived and farmed this land off CR402 north of Bridge Creek since 1956 along with his brother. It is my understanding that the city of Corinth is still trying to get Asplundh to finish the work they originally contracted for with the city and they are now being notified of these areas damaged by their negligence.
Mr. Bennie “Butterbean” Jones
Getting flood debris out of these canals is absolutely essential to prevent these problems in the future. More news in the weeks ahead. As always, thanks for your support.
Elam Canal looking North from Harper Road February 1, 2011
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