NewsReleaseV2011_9

Bridge, Phillips, Elam Drainage District News From the desk of Milton Sandy Jr

August 1 , 2011

Vol 2011-9

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.

Coming Monday - One year progress report!

Flood Threat for August John Warren Henson, Hull Davis, Sr., and Milton Sandy, Jr. commissioners for the historic drainage districts reactivated after the flood of May 2, 2010, in Corinth by the Alcorn Board of Supervisors will celebrate their first anniversary with the regular Supervisors meeting on Monday, August 1, 2011. At that time, Milton Sandy, Jr. will present to the Board of Supervisors for their approval, all of the completed paperwork necessary to begin the first two of the five priority clearing projects previously approved by the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District (TRVWMD). The Board of Supervisors will be asked to approve the other three projects pending receipt of the final half dozen additional supplemental easements remaining. The estimated total value of all five projects to the City of Corinth and Alcorn County will be approximately $400,000.

Richard Bryant, chief engineer for the TRVWMD, reported on Friday that the Corps of Engineers had already reviewed and approved the work to be done for these first two priority projects so with the completed paperwork in hand, the work can be scheduled as soon as possible and practical. Each of the five priority projects is approximately one mile in length. The first project will begin at the CR402 bridge over Bridge Creek and proceed approximately one mile East to the junction of Bridge and Elam Creeks. The second project will begin at Elam Creek at its junction with Bridge Creek and proceed approximately one mile north to Hwy 72. Part of this is the area that was partially cleared by Asplundt Tree Expert Co. but never completed. The City of Corinth has revoked that contract because of non-performance.

The TRVWMD headquartered in Tupelo is a state agency that was specifically created for two primary purposes--flood control and development of water-related resources to promote economic development. The TRVWMD is supported by tax revenue contributions from twelve member counties. Alcorn County was one of the original member counties from the TRVWMD's inception in 1963.

According to Milton Sandy, Jr. the TRVWMD originally offered to help with flooding problems in Corinth in the mid-1990's after the disastrous flood of May 27, 1991. At that time, the City of Corinth was not able to get the Alcorn Board of Supervisors to take action to request help from the TRVWMD. Because the TRVWMD is an organization totally funded by the member counties, all action has to be requested from the respective county boards of supervisors. After the flooding of 2001 and 2002, the City of Corinth again requested help from the Board of Supervisors and a request was made by the county to TRVWMD which was approved pending completion of all requisite paperwork and securing of access easements. The City of Corinth never completed the necessary paperwork and the TRVWMD canceled the proposed clearing projects in 2009.

Contact: Milton Sandy Jr 662-286-6087 - Fax 287-4187 - E-mail mlsandy@tsixroads.com

The drainage district commissioners believe the completion of these projects will illustrate a model example of inter-governmental cooperation in Mississippi to solve a common hill county flooding and drainage problem. While major credit will have to be given to the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors, the current City of Corinth Mayor and Aldermen, Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District and the newly reactivated historic Bridge Phillips and Elam Creek Drainage Districts, the overwhelming support and cooperation of property owners along these historic canals has been the key element of our success. In addition, we have enjoyed support and encouragement from Mr. Tom Heard, NRCS, Ms. Sandy Mitchell, SWCD, Mr. Bobby Marolt, Clerk for the board of Supervisors and Mr. Dave Huwe with the City of Corinth, Community Development and Planning Dept. Expert legal advice has been provided by Mr. Chad Borden, drainage district attorney, and Mr. Bob Krohn, county attorney. Engineering assistance was provided by Mr. Robert Scott, IV, drainage district engineer, and Mr. Ricky Newcomb, county engineer.

It Takes a Village to Solve a Problem in Corinth A few days ago I saw a problem fixed by the Corinth Sewer Dept. and it got me to thinking about the sequence of events which led to fixing the problem. We will probably never know for sure when the problem began. What I do know is some of the sequence of how it was discovered.

May 2, 2010- Major flood in Corinth, Mississippi August 16, 2010 – Demonstration of vegetation mulching equipment by JPV Mulching Contractors revealed extensive damage to utility pipes along Elam Creek which had been hidden by overgrown vegetation. Among the pipes was an outlet from the storm water detention pond across from Kroger.

September 2, 2010 – Bacteriological testing of Elam Creek in the area of the demonstration project and in the detention pond revealed high levels of E. coli. This was brought to the attention of Melissa McGee-Collier and Micheal Canerdy with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) during their visit to Corinth.

My concerns at the time were that the E.coli was a residual of all the sewage released at the time of the May 2, 2010 flood.

At that time, this detention pond was totally covered by 5 or 6 feet of flood water.

April 27, 2011 – Another near flood in Corinth, Mississippi over-topped the storm water detention pond which did not drain down because debris was blocking the drain pipe.

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June 8, 2011 – Bacteriological testing of the storm water detention pond revealed excessively high levels of E. coli. I contacted Ms. Trina Joseph with the management company for the K-mart shopping center to notify them that the drainage outlet was blocked and would potentially worsen flooding rather than help prevent it. Ms. Joseph visited Corinth to observe herself and view some of the flooding problems in the area and promptly contracted with Buddy Ayers Construction to remedy the drainage problem.

July 12, 2011 – Buddy Ayers cleaned out the corner of the detention pond around the outlet drain which when cleared began lowering the water level of the sewage laden detention pond. Mayor Tommy Irwin stopped by to observe the work being done by Ayers in progress. Mayor Irwin noticed the smell and called the Sewer Department to investigate further.

7/12/2011- Cleared drain area of storm water detention pond

7/18/2011- Broken Sewer line looking west behind Sam Goody building Page 3/6

July 18, 2011- Corinth Sewer Department finds major blockage and a broken main sewer line behind the old Sam Goody building across from Kroger, excavates, and promptly repairs. It is highly likely this was the major source of E. coli leaking into the storm water detention pond, and the source of sewage smells from Elam Creek possibly even before the flood of May 2, 2010.

Our hats are off to the vigilance of Mayor Tommy Irwin who I credit for the discovery of this sewer line break and hopefully to a reduction in the E.coli count within this detention pond. The point of my story is how neglect of these drainage canals can hide so many hidden dangers that we can never start to discover or really fix the problems until we have a clear and unobstructed view. For the protection of public health and safety as well as mitigating dangers of future flooding, cleaning out these flood control drainage canals has got to be a top priority within the City of Corinth.

Venting Received a nice email this week from a long time resident of Melody Park which expresses the same frustrations I know that I have felt for over 40 years watching something happening and seeing nothing done about it. ...I live in West Melody Park where it floods and I see people continue to move in then it rains a lot and they have to move. It is very costly to make a move. I have been here 39 years and been lucky even thou it got to the top of my steps one time. I see the Price builders are again tearing up floors only to refix them again at the white house on the end.

I have talked to the mayor and supervisor about our ditches are not dug out the same in the neighborhood as some or 4 inches in some places and 14 wide in others. Some are not dug out and some culverts are nearly closed. No one does anything and grass grows up high in field when you turn into melody park and across the road in the field. I think it has only been cut once this year. Trees are in the ditch at the bridge and grass which prevents it from flowing at its best. I know one time they cut all the trees down and that helped some. I like things neat and it is so hard to see what our neighborhood is like now. I just wanted to vent. Have a good week and continue the good work....

I want to assure you that we are trying to get these canals which were built in the early 1910-1920 period cleared to help mitigate future flooding. The situation today is a lot more complicated than when your property was first settled. At that time, every farmer was responsible for the drainage and ditches on his own property. Every farmer knew from generations of agricultural experience and collectively everyone kept the ditches cleared. There was usually “no problem� unless you lived in a swamp. The area you live in was once considered just that. When Phillips Creek was excavated into a canal around 1914, the property owners organized the Phillips Creek Swamp Land District to do the work. Even then that wasn't that complicated- there were fewer property owners in the total length of almost five miles of Phillips Creek than there are today in only a single one mile segment.

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Today, just to clean out these canals, we have to have the cooperation of Alcorn County, the City of Corinth, the drainage districts, and the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District. We have to have the approval of the United States Corps of Engineers with oversight by the EPA and MDEQ. It is just not as simple as the old days.

For whatever consolation it may be, I wanted to share some history about the area you live in that you may not be aware. You live in an area that is very rich in local history. I credit this information to my wife Stephanie's extensive research successfully locating the Corinth Contraband Camp in 1993- the research has been unpublished. The area you live in was once part of the Phillips farm, named for Joseph and Mary Phillips who settled in this area from Amherst County, Virginia, in January 1837. The property records for your home will lead back to deeds to Joseph Phillips and land patents from President Martin Van Buren. The United States had signed the Treaty of Pontotoc in 1832 purchasing the lands of the Chickasaws and providing for their removal to Oklahoma which began in 1837.

Joseph Phillips (born 1777 Amherst Co., Va. - died 1842 old Tishomingo Co., Miss.) and his Mary (McQueen) Phillips (1804 Tenn. or Ky. - 1877 Corinth, Miss.) had eleven children. For twenty years after her husband’s death, Widow Phillips successfully managed and increased the farm for herself and her family. According to the federal census schedules for 1860, she owned 18 slaves and her farm contained 400 improved acres and 520 unimproved acres.

The Civil War not only devastated the Phillips farm but also exhausted the widow. On January 14, 1867, Mary Phillips and her children concluded that she, then sixty-three years old, was “getting too old and feeble and wishes to divide the land by Quit Claim....” Mrs. Phillips and her sons and daughters therefore requested the Chancery Court to allow for partition of the land.

The court granted partition on March 11, 1867. The survey, known as the Phillips Survey, divided the Phillips farm into blocks and each was sold at auction. Family members purchased most of the lots during the auction.

The Phillips farm refers to the property owned, from 1842 to 1867, by Mrs. Mary Phillips, the widow of Joseph Phillips. The farm included three pieces of property, the largest of which contained the original Phillips home place, was all of Section 6, Township 2, Range 8 East (640 acres, and hereafter called Section Six). Section Six, is now best described as being bound on the north by Shiloh Road; on the east by the section line that is located approximately 573.5 feet east of and roughly parallel to Pinecrest Road; on the south, Proper Street, also known as Old Farmington Road and; on the west, by Wilson and Caroline Streets. Phillips Creek flows diagonally north and south through Section Six and runs under Harper Road at the intersection of present day Old Farmington Road. The east half of Section Six contains considerable flat and low land most notably Melody Park Subdivision which is locally noted for its history of flooding. Bridge Creek traverses Section Six, running north and south, in the northeastern quarter. A contiguous quarter section, Northeast Quarter of Section 7, Township 2, Range 8 East (160 acres) lies directly south of Section Six. Phillips Creek continues southward through this quarter section. This large area is the present day site of the Farmington Arms Apartments and the home and property of David and Ginger Latch and others. A third unconnected parcel was located north of Corinth.

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The reason the area you live in is well documented historically is because of events which took place there during the Civil War. Most of that history had been lost until research began in the 1990's to find the site of the Contraband Camp established during the Civil War for freed slaves, now referred to as freedmen. From the fall of 1862 until early 1864, somewhere between 1,500 and 6,000 people made their home along Phillips Creek in the area you now live. All of their water for drinking and sanitation likely came from Phillips Creek and nearby Bridge Creek.

Most of the records documenting this history exist today because the widow Mary Phillips filed a claim (unsuccessfully) seeking reimbursement for goods taken by the occupying Federal troops and for their use of her property. Her claim was filed with the Southern Claims Commission on the 21st day of February 1872. Her petition was attested by local residents of Corinth, Alcorn County, T. Shelton, Houston Mitchell, and John Henson.

During the time of the contraband camp, the old Phillips Home, (likely near Farmington Road and present day Melody Park) was used as a hospital The wife of the commander of the camp, Julia L. Lovejoy, served as a teacher there during that time. Some of her letters survived and shed some light on the area at that time:

“...The climate thus far has been very salubrious for the soldiers, though at other seasons not cold like the past there must be a large amount of deadly miasma exhaled from these low grounds, where there is so much stagnant water at all seasons of the year. We are far from being pleased with the State of Mississippi, as far as we have had an opportunity of seeing it. The land is quite level, with a superabundance of heavy timber...” “...The entire South will in our humble opinion be missionary ground, for not one in perhaps twenty or more of the white inhabitants can read or write. We had heard of their ignorance before, but were unprepared to credit what we have found true, and we strongly desire if the climate in summer should agree with our constitution, to return and labor here as a teacher and life-long missionary of the cross...”

Unknown transcriber, “Lovejoy, Julia L. and Charles H.” Kansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. XVI (Topeka: Kansas State Historical Society, 1948), p. 200-201. Letter to the Editor of the Christian Messenger by Julia L. Lovejoy, Feb. 21, 1864

This is just a very brief introduction to some of the local history connected to Phillips Creek and the area you live in. I'll have to save some more of the story for a later time. I will tell you that at least one former member of the Phillips household spent his life searching for buried treasure which he believed was buried somewhere on the Phillips Farm- he never found it, it could be in your backyard!

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