This project would protect the five major surface transportation facilities that converge in the floodplain of the Mississippi River’s western bank, bridging the river and connecting West Memphis, Arkansas (population 24,520) to Memphis, Tennessee (population 633,104). This project will restore the floodplain with natural infrastructure, reducing deforestation, improving ecosystem health, and preventing concentrated erosion and scour, which will otherwise lead to catastrophic failure of these elevated transportation facilities.

The Mississippi River’s floodplain forests are dying. The race is on to bring them back.

By Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, Special to the Daily Memphian 

Floodplain forests play a pivotal role in the river ecosystem – creating wildlife habitat, improving water quality, storing carbon and slowing flooding. But they’re disappearing.