WTOK-TV Meridian
Pat Harrison Waterway District Board gives updates on Archusa Dam repair
By Zack Rogers
QUITMAN, Miss. (WTOK) - In July of 2023, the Archusa Dam at Archusa Creek Water Park suffered a catastrophic breach.
This breach released much of the water in the reservoir, similar to an incident that happened about 25 years ago.
In light of recent concerns and questions, the Pat Harrison Waterway district board held a meeting to give updates on repair plans, as well as answer questions from the public.
Unfortunately, most of the money is still held up in Congress.
“We continue to have ongoing weekly, daily, sometimes daily conversations with our Washington, DC delegation representative Michael Guest, Senators Cindy Hyde Smith and Roger Wicker as well. And we were up there in March meeting with them again to get this funding approved and put on to the fiscal year 26 budget. We had it in the fiscal year 25 budget, but of course everybody knows when they did the continuing resolution in Washington in March that that fiscal year 25 budget, you know, it goes by the wayside and everything falls into 26,” said Scott Evans, with the Clarke County Board of Supervisors.
Despite funding issues, plans to repair the dam are still underway.
“Currently, like I said, we hope to be able to award the design contract by the end of May, and from there you’re looking at a few months to start getting into the engineering design which should allow us to be able to start demolition of the current weir that’s in place,” said Greg Pitts with the Pat Harrison Waterway District Board.
Officials suggest that progress could begin as early as later this Summer.