Welcome to the proposed Sand Creek Watershed Flood Prevention Project website.
This website will serve as the primary source of information for the proposed project, providing the public with access to maps, project details, public involvement opportunities, and project updates throughout the planning and development process.
Project Overview:
The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-NRCS) are working with the Choctaw County Board of Supervisors in support of the proposed Sand Creek Watershed Flood Prevention Project located within Choctaw County, Mississippi. This project is being funded by the USDA-NRCS’s Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law 83-566 (PL566). This program gives authorization for NRCS to support local organizations and/or governments in order to plan and implement watershed projects.
The goal of the PL566 program is to solve natural resource and related economic problems on a watershed basis. Projects can include flood prevention and damage reduction, development of rural water supply sources, erosion and sediment control, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, wetland creation and restoration, and increased recreational opportunities.
The purpose of this proposed project is to address recurring flooding and water supply issues affecting portions of the Sand Creek Watershed and downstream. The project is intended to reduce flood risks to homes, agricultural lands, and public infrastructure, as well as provide additional economic development opportunities, fire protection, additional municipal and industrial water supply, and recreational opportunities.
Below are the general steps to the process of developing the Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment document. Within this process are three public involvement opportunities: the Public Scoping Meeting within Step 2 (scheduled for July 30, 2026); Alternatives Selection Meeting within Step 4 (Date TBD); and Public meeting to present the Draft Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) within Step 5 (Date TBD). Click the + button for more details of each step.
The current status of the project process will be updated with each new development.
NRCS Project Process Timeline
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This initial step includes project management and administration tasks to set up the project and begin coordination with the NRCS State Office.
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This step involves the organization and facilitation of a Public Scoping Meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday, July 30, 2026. At which point, a public comment period will begin and continue for 30 days after the meeting, concluding on Monday, August 31, 2026.
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The Data Collection step consists of local, state, and federal agency coordination, and environmental technical studies. These studies include, but not limited to, various site visits, cultural resources and historic properties surveys, threatened & endangered species surveys, wetland delineation studies, hydrological & hydraulic modeling, geotechnical studies, etc.
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Using the data from the previous step, several solutions, or alternatives, will be developed to meet the purposes and resolves the needs of the project area. These alternatives will undergo a selection process based on several criteria, including feasibility, economic factors, environmental impacts, etc.
The remaining viable alternatives will be presented to the public in an Alternative Selection Public Meeting, where the public can comment on which alternative they prefer. The comments along with additional factors will be used to choose a Preferred Alternative to move forward.
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Draft Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) is developed in support of the Preferred Alternative.
A third Public Meeting will be organized to present the Draft Watershed Plan and EA to the public.
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After state and federal approval, a Final Watershed Plan and EA will be developed for distribution.
The completion of this step would conclude the environmental process. The next phase of the project will be further detailed engineering studies.