Committee advances bill to expand Ross Barnett reservoir dredging fund to include maintenance and shoreline projects

The committee chair introduced House Bill 867 as an amendment to the Ross Barnett Reservoir dredging fund to add explicit authority for dredging and maintenance and to permit use of some fund money for shoreline protection and related projects.

The chair said that Pearl River Valley Water District representative Adam Choke was present to answer questions about the bill. Senator Williams asked whether the funding would be drawn from a special fund or the general fund; the chair said it could be a special fund and that he believed it was special fund money. The committee then approved the measure for reporting out.

Why it matters: The change would broaden allowable uses of the existing dredging fund to include ongoing maintenance and shoreline work that stakeholders say can protect property and navigable areas. The bill was reported out of committee with no recorded opposition from stakeholder groups in the hearing.

The bill will move to the next legislative step after being reported out by the committee.