President Donald Trump has signed an appropriations bill that directs funding to the long-anticipated Yazoo pumps project and repairs to the Arkabutla Lake dam.
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced Wednesday that $184.1 million of the more than $57 billion FY2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill will go to 30 authorized U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects in Mississippi, including $49 million for the Yazoo Backwater pumps and $21.9 million for Arkabutla Lake dam repairs.
“The Army Corps always has important projects underway in Mississippi to improve our waterways and ports,” said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee. “I’ve been focused on ensuring it has adequate resources to make headway on securing the Arkabutla Lake dam, moving us forward on the Yazoo Backwater pumps, and sustaining our flood protection infrastructure.”
More than 80 years after the federal government approved plans to protect the south Delta area from flooding, a plan to build pumps along the Yazoo Backwater area appears to be coming to fruition. Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers reached a landmark record of decision last year, marking a significant milestone in the efforts to address flooding and environmental challenges in a region of the Mississippi Delta prone to natural disasters.
The plan entails installing high-volume pumps at the Steele Bayou Water Control Structure, just 10 miles north of Vicksburg. The pumps would manage water levels to the 90-foot elevation mark during crop season and the 93-foot elevation mark during non-crop season. The $49 million set aside for the plan is a major funding source to get the ball rolling on the pumps project.
As for Arkabutla, officials are continuing to work toward completely securing the northwest Mississippi dam following a depression discovered more than two years ago. Officials announced in December that they’re beginning Phase II of interim risk reduction measures at the flood control structure, after completing the initial phase. The initial phase entailed lowering the pool elevation and installing groundwater monitoring devices and relief wells.
Phase II, which is where the latest round of funding will go toward grouting the tunnel through the dam’s foundation to fill voids and prevent further loss of material through the structure.
The FY2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill funds the Army Corps, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Department of Energy defense and nondefense programs, as well as independent agencies like the Delta Regional Authority and Appalachian Regional Commission. Other items Mississippi allocations in the measure include:
Delta Headwaters Project: $5 million
Mississippi Flood Control Reservoirs and Lakes: $30.1 million
- Enid Lake – $5.6 million
- Grenada Lake – $5.7 million
- Sardis Lake – $6.8 million
Mississippi Ports: $21.8 million for dredging, operation, and maintenance activities
- Greenville Harbor – $3 million, a $1.67 million increase
- Vicksburg Harbor – $2.4 million, a 1.38 million increase
- Rosedale Harbor – $3.1 million, a 1.65 million increase
- Gulfport Harbor – $6.7 million
- Pascagoula Harbor – $6.5 million
Mississippi Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: $28.8 million to support water and wastewater infrastructure
- DeSoto County – $15 million
- City of Meridian – $10 million
- Rankin County – $3.8 million
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway: $31 million for operation, maintenance, and wildlife mitigation activities
Independent Agencies:
- Appalachian Regional Commission: $200 million
- Delta Regional Authority: $32 million