Featured Project
Madison County Watershed-Based Stormwater Management Program
Watershed
Madison County, Mississippi
The Madison County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) engaged Waggoner to develop a Comprehensive Watershed-Based Stormwater Management Program for the County. Waggoner identified stormwater deficiencies throughout the County’s unincorporated and incorporated areas. Professional services were provided to identify, analyze, quantify, prioritize, and develop a short- and long-term implementation plan. Its development involved watershed assessment, engineering design, and the creation of comprehensive strategies for both capital investments and ongoing maintenance needs. Conceptual recommendations for project improvements were ranked and prioritized, and capital planning for projects valued over $100 million was borne from the assessment.
The project scope encompassed all 33 County watersheds delineated at the 12-digit Hydraulic Unit Code (HUC-12) level and included site assessment and evaluations for up to 100 locations. Each watershed was characterized and prioritized using innovative GIS analysis to identify critical areas for protection, management, and restoration. Land use, floodplain encroachment, in situ soils, and terrain are a few components investigated for contribution to stormwater runoff characteristics. Finally, socio-economic factors were considered as a means of determining funding avenues.
As a result, critical watersheds were identified through the project for further investigation and management plan development, leading to better resource conservation in Madison County.
33
Number of HUC-12 watersheds in Madison County
Funding Support for the Program
The Bear Creek Watershed was identified as a priority focus due to a decline in the ecosystem’s health over previous decades. The US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) awarded Madison County $23.5 million for best watershed management practices in the Bear Creek Watershed.
A Water Resources Development Act of 2022, Section 219 Authorization of $10 million allows the US Army Corps of Engineers to allocate support to this Program. Waggoner helped the County work with its Congressional delegation to secure this authorization. In 2024, $4 million of that total was appropriated to initiate design for watershed projects in the Brashear Creek and Hanging Moss Creek Watershed.