GOMESA Application Details
- 1. Title of Project
- St. Joseph Stormwater Park
- 2. Location of Project
- 4114 First Street, Moss Point, MS
- 3. Requesting Organization
- City of Moss Point
- 4a. Name
- Billy Knight
- 4b. Position
- 4c. Phone Number
- 228-219-8195
- 4d. Fax Number
- 4e. Address Line 1
- 4320 Mcinnis Ave
- 4e. Address Line 2
- 4e. City, State Zip
- Moss Point, MS 39563
- 4f. Email
- billy.knight@cityofmosspoint.org
- 5. FundingRequested
- $118,500
- Awarded Amount:
- $118,500
- 6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources
- No
- 7a. Amount of Additional Funds
- $0
- 7b. Source of Additional Funds
- 8. Total Project Funds Amount
- $118,500
- 9. Project Description/Overview
- Moss Point is impacted by severe flooding throughout the city and has limited funding available to address the many issues that exist. The City of Moss Point has many physical vulnerabilities making it prone to floods. Moss Point lies at 16.4 feet above sea level and is surrounded by water. It is within five miles of the Gulf of Mexico, is bordered to the west by Pascagoula River, and has the Escatawpa River running through the middle of the city making it increasingly susceptible to high tide flooding and storm surge as seas rise. Moss Point also remains susceptible to heavy rainfall flooding as it lies in the southeast region of the United States receiving high amounts of rainfall each year. This high amount of rainfall is expected to increase over time under both future high- and low-carbon emission scenarios (NCA 4). The risks posed by the water are clear, with flood damage estimates of $7.1 million for the city in 2020 alone (FloodFactor.com). Furthermore, the traditional stormwater systems are not maintaining their effectiveness as Moss Point has long ago outgrown the maximum capacities of a system that was built decades ago to support a smaller population. As the conveyance system has aged, it has also become dilapidated with undersized piping and is easily overwhelmed during storm events leaving the city more vulnerable to flooding and water pollution. One area centered around the Rose Drive neighborhood, is one of the more critical areas in the city. The City of Moss Point has pa1tnered with the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR) and MSU's Gulf Coast Community Design Studio (GCCDS) to create stormwater parks around this area in Moss Point to mitigate the flooding. The multi-beneficial stormwater parks will be designed to flood as needed, capturing water that would otherwise contribute to neighborhood flooding and mitigate coastal flooding and reduce non-point source (NPS) pollution into Bayou Casotte. Strategies will include a variety of bioretention systems to slow storm water and increase infiltration throughout the park. In addition to the community benefit of flood mitigation, the park will provide multiple recreational benefits such as exercise, access to nature, wildlife viewing, and more. See attachment.
- 10. Project Goals/Objectives
- Goal: Acquire necessary site to implement a stormwater park most effective at flood mitigation, NPS pollution reduction, and increasing public access to nature. Objective 1: Survey the property at 4114 First Street, Moss Point, MS 39562. Objective 2: Sub-divide the lot, creating a 3-acre lot south of the Church. Objective 3: Purchase the 3-acre southern lot including all due diligence, legal fees, and closing costs to be developed into a storm water park.
- 11. Which of the following authorized uses set forth in the GOMESA Act does this project fall under?
- (A) Projects and activities for the purpose of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetlands losses
- Yes: Floodwater mitigation is an important focus of the Moss Point community. Residents in these areas deal with flooding on a regular basis. Flood waters enter their homes causing damage to property and endanger their livelihoods, moreover their lives. Effective stormwater infrastructure is especially important in Moss Point. Compounding factors create an undefended strain on aging stormwater infrastructure systems like sea-level rise, large amounts of rainfall, and intense storms. The northern Gulf of Mexico is among the rainiest areas in the country, with Mobile, AL having an average of 67 inches of rainfall per year. See Attachment
- (B) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources.
- Yes: Most runoff in the area surrounding the project site drains directly into Bayou Casotte. Bayou Casotte is a small estuary lying within the Coastal Streams Basin Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 03170009 in south Mississippi. The smaller, approximately 8.4 square mile Bayou Casotte watershed encompasses the southeastern portion of Moss Point receiving much of the area' s stormwater discharge. The predominant land use here is categorized as urban and lies within Jackson County. Six endangered species including the Kemp' s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) and the Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) have habitat ranges within Bayou Casotte and the surrounding coastal areas (Mitchell, 2007). See Attachment
- (C) Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or conservation management plan.
- (D) Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects.
- 12. Project Timetable/Milestones
- Upon receiving the award, the City of Moss Point will work with the Catholic Diocese to proceed with surveying and sub-dividing the property. We anticipate this activity to be completed within six months of the award date. Following this step, we will begin the process of purchasing the property which is estimated to be completed within the following 6 months. The entire process should take about one year to complete. Acquiring this property is the necessary fust step in creating a beneficial storm water park and providing relief to the citizens of Moss Point.
- 13. Project Timing
- Short-term
- 14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):
- 15. In what way does this project meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Marine Resources, which includes enhancing, protecting and conserving the marine interest of Mississippi for present and future generations?
- This project will address the following MDMR goals: B) Marine and Estuarine Habitat. Restore, protect and conserve the marine and estuarine habitats of Mississippi using sound science and responsible regulation; C) Native Marine Species. Enhance, protect, and conserve native marine species using sound natural science and enforcement of responsible regulation; and D) Coastal Resiliency. Enhance resiliency and minimize vulnerability of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The acquisition of the proposed site by the City of Moss Point will allow future implementation of a stormwater park most effective at flood mitigation, NPS pollution reduction, and increasing public access to nature. This will create a more resilient Moss Point while simultaneously minimizing vulnerability to flooding. Stormwater parks are designed to slow down and capture st01mwater that would otherwise contribute to flooding. By diverting stormwater to the park it will alleviate flow to the surrounding area. Collecting stormwater in these parks alleviates the pressure on the dilapidated stormwater infrastructure preventing the system from being overwhelmed. The stormwater park will restore estuarine habitat and conserve native marine species through nonpoint source pollution reduction. As stormwater flows across hard surfaces like streets and parking lots it picks up pollutants and transports it to the rivers and bays that surround Moss Point. By diverting pollutant laden stormwater to the park will not only reduce flooding but the native plants used in the design of the park will filter out these pollutants. Therefore, water that eventually flows to the river and bays are of better water quality and improve that habitat for fish and wildlife.
- 16. Estimated Years To Completion
- 1
- 17. Estimated Completion Date
- 8/4/2024
- Budget:
- Salaries,Wages, Fringe
- $0
- Travel
- $0
- Architecture & Engineering
- $0
- Legal
- $2,500
- Consulting
- $0
- Construction
- $0
- Site Work
- $1,000
- Equipment
- $0
- Indirects
- $10,350
- Other
- $100,000
- Total
- $113,850
- Internal Project Number
- 2025006
- Application Submission Date
- 08/04/2023
- Fiscal Year
- 2025
- Project Status
- Awarded
- Application Status
- Accepted
- Meets Criteria
- Yes
- Internal Notes:
- 1783-f