Mississippi River Commission to bring public hearings to riverside communities this spring

VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi River Commission will take its mission to riverside communities this spring, hosting four public hearings as part of its 2026 High-Water Inspection trip and public hearings, March 23 - 27.

The hearings, which are held onboard the Motor Vessel Mississippi at stops along the river, give residents, stakeholders, and local community members an opportunity to voice their views, share ideas about challenges facing the river system as well as engage with Commission members.

The hearing dates, times and locations are as follows:
• March 23 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. New Madrid, MO. (City Front)
• March 24 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Memphis, TN. (Mud Island River Park Landing)
• March 26 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Vicksburg, MS. (City Front)
• March 27 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Baton Rouge, LA. (Shamrock Maring, 900 South River Rd)

All hearings are free and open to the public. At each stop, the Commission's president will deliver a report on regional and national issues affecting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs and projects along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Community members and interested parties are encouraged to speak on water resources infrastructure needs throughout the valley, including the Mississippi River & Tributaries project and other water resources challenges.

Established in 1879, the Mississippi River Commission is composed of seven members, each nominated by the President of the United States. The authority of the commission extends the entire length of the Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Head of Passes, Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of America.

These public hearings represent a unique tradition, one that maintains an open line of communication between USACE, the Commission and the communities that depend on the river.
The Mississippi River Commission brings engineering representation to the drainage basin, which impacts 41 percent of the United States and includes 1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states and two Canadian provinces.

For more information, contact the MRC administrative officer at 601-634-5768 or email [email protected].