‘You know the nearer your destination, the more you’re slip slidin’ away’

Engineer Greg Smith, who works locally with Mendrop Engineering, examines the advancement of erosion at Batesville Mounds that is threatening overlook areas at the city park located on Hwy. 35N. Grants from the federal Department of the Interior, along with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, allowed for the construction of the park, including more than two miles of paved walking trails among the historic Native American burial mounds. City and county officials have begun holding meetings with state officials, Mendrop engineers, and local landowners to discuss options for seeking grants and loans to fund the design projects necessary to slow, or stop, the erosion caused by the Tallahatchie River. The river is currently at its lowest levels because of the ongoing maintenance at Lower Sardis Lake that has the outlet channel shut.