(JACKSON, Miss.) — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) revised its general water contact advisory Friday for the Jackson area to include Purple Creek, Three Mile Creek, Cany Creek, and White Oak Creek. The advisory for Purple Creek begins where it crosses underneath County Line Road and extends to the Pearl River. The revisions were based on sampling results done by the agency around the Jackson area due to self-reported sanitary sewer overflows by the City of Jackson, specific citizen concerns, and the extension of sampling to water bodies adjacent to those already under advisory. These additional four water bodies are being added to the latest advisory issued in 2019. The advisory on the Pearl River now extends from its confluence with Purple Creek to the Swinging Bridge in Byram. (see attached map—newer segments are darker red).
Advisories from 2019 remain in effect for Hanging Moss Creek, Town Creek, Lynch Creek, Eubanks Creek, Hardy Creek, Trahon Creek, Big Creek, and Belhaven Creek (including Belhaven Beach). Also included is Tilda Slough which is along the south side of Pascagoula Street and east of Jefferson Street (parallel to Pascagoula Street) that flows through an underground culvert then emerges at I-55 near the Pearl Street exit. This slough drains north under High Street where it is pumped to the Pearl River.
MDEQ recommends that people avoid water contact recreational activities such as swimming, wading, and fishing in these waters.
MDEQ staff will continue to collect water samples and monitor the water quality in the area. The advisory may be revised as needed.
