Coast counties, cities get $38 million for waterfront projects. Here’s the list.
South Mississippi cities and counties will get $12.5 million in tidelands money to pay for new boat launches, boardwalks and waterfront improvements and a share of another $25.6 million in Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act funds.
With all this money coming to South Mississippi, the state legislature did not pass the Mississippi Coastal Master Plan Act to direct these millions of dollars to projects that will best benefit South Mississippi.
SB2799 would have created a technical advisory board to develop a master plan for the “restoration, construction, storms protection, habitat construction restoration and water quality projects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.” Under that bill all future awards for the funds would have met the established goals goals.
This year the tidelands awards were spread across 25 projects ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.
The project and the city, county or state official awarded grants are:
$500,000 — Richards Bayou dredging project, Gulfport
$500,000 — Kuhn St. Boat Ramp parking project Phase II, Biloxi
$500,000 — Long Beach Harbor improvements, Long Beach
$400,000 — D’lberville Working Waterfront, harbor and marina, public access, D’lberville
$400,000 — Noma Drive public access projects, Diamondhead
$400,000 — McLeod Park bulkhead improvements, Hancock County
$375,000 — Dredging project at Parker’s Creek, Biloxi
$362,500 — Washington Avenue at Front Beach access, Ocean Springs
$350,000 — Downtown boardwalk assistance, Bay St. Louis
$350,000 — Marina planning and design assistance, Waveland
$350,000 — Public safety improvements to River Parks Piers, Pascagoula
$300,000 — Rhodes Bayou Watershed Improvements, Phase I, Moss Point
$300,000 — 20th Avenue and U.S. 90 beach side parking improvements Phase I, Harrison County
$296,930 — Lake Mars Pier expansion project, Jackson County
$250,000 — Shepard State Park upgrades, Gautier
$250,000 — Mary Walker Bayou Parks project, Gautier
$200,000 — Hiller Park boat launch, Biloxi
$200,000 — Seafood Museum repairs from Hurricane Ida, Biloxi
$198,000 — Race-Track Road boat launch Phase I, Jackson County
$175,000 — Secure concrete fillers at East Small Craft Harbor, Pass Christian
$150,000 — Broadwater Marina public access and marina basin restoration, Secretary of State
$100,000 — West Biloxi boat launch, Harrison County
$100,000 — Long Beach Park volleyball court improvements, Harrison County
$100,000 — Removable restroom units for west side of Gulfport Small Craft Harbor, Gulfport
$100,000 — Study to analyze jetty system to prevent erosion of the Ocean Springs Front Beach, Jackson County
Casinos and a few other businesses pay into Mississippi’s Tidelands Trust Fund for leases on land that is covered and uncovered daily by water during high and low tide.
Awards for Fiscal Year 2023 include $7.2 million for public access projects, $3 million for management projects, $1.2 million for bond repayment and $1 million for prior year projects, for a total of nearly $12.5 million.
GOMESA Awards
The state legislature also appropriated $25.6 million in GOMESA funds for $2023 and reappropriated millions more for projects that previously were awarded and not completed. Under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, the federal government provides revenue sharing for Mississippi and other Gulf of Mexico states for off-shore oil leases.
Projects awarded funds are:
$4.6 million — Pass Christian gravity sewer system improvements phase II
$3.7 million — Secretary of State for Broadwater Marina restoration
$2.7 million — Ocean Springs Front Beach public access and storm water mitigation
$2.5 million — Mississippi State University and Institute for Marine Mammal Studies for evaluation and monitoring of marine mammal and sea turtles after Bonnet Carre Spillway opening
$1.8 million — Jackson County Utility Authority for septic system abatement
$1.5 million — Department of Marine Resources for off bottom oyster aquaculture
$1.4 million — Jackson County for Pascagoula Beach open channel outfalls
$1.2 million — Diamondhead for drainage, flood prevention, water quality
$1 million — American Shrimp Processors Association for shrimp processors feasibility study
$957,318 — National Oceans and Applications Research Center for inventory of wetland habitats
$874,240 — DMR for Bonnet Carre/Mid Breton response
$746,097 — DMR 3% administration fee
$554,681 — Oceans and Applications Research Center for Cat Island baseline inventory of seagrass
$430,000 — DMR for Katrina Key expansion
$400,000 — DMR for Katrina Key expansion phase II
$381,000 — USM for MS Coastal Fishery resource assessment
$366,335 — Pass Christian sewer pump station repairs
$348,220 — DMR for Pelican Key beneficial use site
$291,600 — National Oceans and Applications Research Center for Pelican Key
Appropriations are good for just one year. These are among projects that were approved in previous years but not completed, and are reappropriated:
$4.4 million — University of Southern Mississippi for Ocean Enterprise Project
$2.8 million — Hancock County Utility Authority for Oak Harbor sewer improvements
$2.7 million — Hancock County for Atlantic Street sewer improvements
$2.6 million — Gautier for water quality and infrastructure sanitary sewer
$2.2 million — Long Beach for Small Craft Harbor SE bulkhead improvements
$2 million — Department of Marine Resources for an oyster plant
$1.98 million — Department of Marine Resources for Coffee Creek Outfall
$1.9 million — Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for Buccaneer State Park
$1.7 million — Pass Christian for gravity sewer system improvements Phase I
$1.2 million — Biloxi for the East Biloxi Boardwalk
$1.1 million — Jackson County Supervisors for Front Beach erosion control
$1 million — Biloxi for Bayview Avenue Boardwalk
$990,185 — Department of Environmental Quality for water quality
$978,300 — Biloxi for East Biloxi Boardwalk sand re-nourishment
$967,575 — Pass Christian for sanitary sewer pump station repairs
$915,000 — Pascagoula for Buena Vista area drainage
$831,600 — Diamondhead for sewer improvements
$800,000 — Biloxi for Point Cadet Living Shoreline
$779,442 — National Oceans and Applications Research Center for inventory of wetlands habitats
$752,794 — Department of Marine Resources for artificial reef construction
$510,200 — Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission for Port Bienville conservation management
$510,000 — Pascagoula for Point Park Pier repair/improvements
$495,000 — Diamondhead for marsh erosion prevention
$480,744 — National Oceans and Applications Research Center for Cat Island baseline inventory of seagrass habitat
$465,651 — Department of Marine Resources for Infinity Science Center
$450,000 — Jackson County for Watershed Development Plan
$422,238 — Mississippi State University for IMMS evaluation study
$410,000 — Kiln Utility District for Jourdan River Shores sewer force main relocation
$271,951 — Bay St. Louis for Ward 6 boat launch, public water access and restroom facility
$244,334 — National Oceans and Applications Research Center for Pelican Key baseline hydrographic survey
$244,223 — USM for collection of fishery-dependent information on blue crabs
$236,860 — Department of Marine Resources for Railroad Corner beneficial use site
$206,940 — Hancock County for water sewer force crossing
$200,666 — Department of Marine Resources for Bonnet Carre response
$138,055 — Department of Marine Resources for GOMESA project management, development and mitigation
$112,031 — Department of Marine Resources for MS reef fish monitoring and assessment
$102,241 — Department of Marine Resources for Coffee Creek water quality
$3,637 — Department of Marine Resources for shellfish water quality testing
$3,475 — Department of Marine Resources for oyster clutch
$2,744 — University of Southern Mississippi for Aquaculture Depth Control Unit
$675 — Department of Marine Resources for oyster restoration and enhancement
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 9:25 AM.
