West Tennessee River Basin Authority expands territory, adds two to board

State Gazette
September 10, 2007

The West Tennessee River Basin Authority expanded last summer, but physical work in the new territories may not start for a few more months.

Executive Director David Salyers said he's working with the state on money and manpower issues. He hopes to have that resolved and new employees hired by the end of December.

In addition to adding territory, the basin authority enlarged its board of directors to include two more legislators. Sen. Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and Rep. Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads) have joined the board in recent weeks.

This is the third time in 11 years that that the General Assembly has expanded the basin authority's territory. The basin authority was established in 1972 to deal with the Obion and Forked Deer river watersheds. The Hatchie River system was added in 1996. The West Eight Association, a flood-control organization along the Tennessee River, was added in 2003.

On July 1, the eastern half of Hardin County and the Loosahatchie River watershed in Fayette and Tipton counties were added to the basin authority's territory. Salyers said the waterways in those areas have not been maintained for some time and have significant problems.

As the expansion bill proceeded through the Legislature, the basin authority made it clear that the new responsibilities would need to be accompanied by additional state appropriations. The Legislature agreed.

Salyers said he anticipated an additional $845,000 in state funds for the first year. He learned two weeks ago that the sum will actually be about $823,000. That includes annual recurring costs of $763,000 and one-time expenses of $60,000.

The next step is inserting the additional funds into the basin authority's budget. The budget includes a variety of accounts that designate how funds may be spent, such as salaries and benefits, equipment, travel expenses and the like. Salyers said he's working on that now and hopes to have an agreement with the state in a week or so.

In addition to receiving state funds, the basin authority asks counties to contribute the equivalent of 1 cent on the property tax rate for the percentage of the county within the basin authority's territory. Local funds are supposed to provide at least 29 percent of the agency's annual budget.

Only one of the three counties involved in the expansion - Fayette County - was contributing the requested amount before the bill passed. Salyers said he hasn't received official communications from the counties yet, but he believes that all three plan to contribute this year.

The bill boosted the percentage of land in the basin authority territory from 7 percent to about 60 percent in Fayette County, from 50 percent to 100 percent in Tipton County and from less than 50 percent to 100 percent in Hardin County.

While the monetary details are being resolved, the basin authority and its engineering consultant, Buchart Horn, are beginning preliminary work. A scoping meeting was held last week to scout potential project sites in the three counties.

In late September, the group plans to spend a couple of days examining the Loosahatchie River and finding locations where basin authority projects would make the most impact.

Salyers said the group plans to make a field visit to the Baxter Bottoms area in Tipton County in early October. The natural floodplain hydrology there needs to be restored.

The basin authority also is considering an additional amphibious trackhoe contract. The agency already owns one amphibious trackhoe and has a second one on contract. The trackhoes are used to clear logjams in the rivers. The rivers and streams in the new counties have been neglected for years, Salyers said.

The White Oak Swamp in Hardin County is another problem spot in the new territory. The floodplain hydrology needs to be restored. Salyers said he hopes to begin preliminary work there in November or December.

The basin authority's board of directors will hold its next quarterly meeting at 2 p.m. Oct. 10 in its offices, 3628 East End Drive in Humboldt.