Pat Harrison Waterway District
{{Short description|Mississippi state government agency}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Pat Harrison Waterway District
|image = Pat Harrison Waterway District Logo.jpg
|size = 150px
|caption =
|formation = 1962
|type = State Agency
|purpose = Flood control, Recreation
|headquarters = 17 J M Tatum Industrial Drive, Suite 120
Hattiesburg, Mississippi{{cite web|url=http://www.phwd.net/|title=PHWD - Home|website=www.phwd.net|access-date=28 September 2018}}
|region_served = Southeastern and East Central Mississippi
|membership =
|leader_title = Executive Director
|leader_name =
Hiram Boone[http://www.mswater.org/members/water-management/ Water Resources Association: Pat Harrison Waterway District] Retrieved 2014-05-13.
|num_staff =
|num_volunteers =
|budget =
|website = [http://www.phwd.net/ Pat Harrison Waterway District]
|remarks =
}}
Pat Harrison Waterway District (PHWD) is a Mississippi State Agency with headquarters in Hattiesburg. The agency was created in 1962 with a directive of flood control in southeastern and east central Mississippi.
History and mission
{{Stack|File:PatHarrisonWaterwayDistrict OfficeBuilding 2018.jpg}}
When the Waterway District was created in 1962, its main mission was flood control for rivers and their tributaries along the Pascagoula River Basin in southeastern and east central Mississippi.{{Cite news|url=http://www.wlox.com/story/19915469/pat-harrison-waterway-district-celebrates-50th-anniversary|title=Pat Harrison Waterway District celebrates 50th anniversary|date=October 26, 2012|work=WLOX.com|access-date=2018-04-14|language=en}} In addition to flood control, the agency's mission expanded to include water management and recreation. The District derives its name from Pat Harrison, who served Mississippi as U.S. Representative (1911–19) and Senator (1919-41).
Funding
Funding for PHWD comes from ad valorem taxes collected in member Counties, park recreation fees, timber sales, and interest from investments.{{Cite web|url=http://www.peer.ms.gov/Reports/reports/rpt439.pdf|title=A Review of the Pat Harrison Waterway District’s Management of Archusa Creek Water Park|last=Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER)|date=December 3, 2002|website=PEER.ms.gov|access-date=2018-04-14}} PHWD is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors, with one Director appointed from each of the 15 member Counties and three Directors appointed by the Governor of Mississippi. Full-time employees are located at the central office in Hattiesburg and at the District's eight water parks.
Member counties
Originally, there were 15 Mississippi counties in the Pat Harrison Waterway District:
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- Clarke County
- Covington County
- Forrest County
- George County
- Greene County
- Jackson County
- Jasper County
- Jones County
- Lamar County
- Lauderdale County
- Newton County
- Perry County
- Smith County
- Stone County
- Wayne County
{{div col end}}
File:Pat Harrison Waterway District Headquarters.jpg
As of 2014, three counties (Forrest, Jasper, and Lamar) had withdrawn from the District.{{Cite news|url=http://www.wdam.com/story/25219108/pat-harrison-waterway-district-moving-headquarter-location|title=Pat Harrison Waterway District moving headquarter location|work=WDAM.com|access-date=2018-04-14|language=en}}
In the summer of 2018, PHWD moved out of their 56-year-old office building located at 6081 U.S. Route 49 south, as part of a lawsuit settlement with Forrest County.{{Cite news|url=http://www.wdam.com/story/37289374/forrest-county-settles-lawsuit-with-phwd/|title=Forrest County settles lawsuit with PHWD|last=Herrington|first=Charles|work=wdam.com|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US}} In September 2018, Forrest County Board of Supervisors ordered the demolition of the county-owned building, including its distinctive mural on the front facade, to facilitate future road construction near Forrest General Hospital.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hubcityspokes.com/front-page-slideshow-news-hattiesburg/officials-explain-reasons-behind-pat-harrison-demolition|title=Officials explain reasons behind Pat Harrison demolition {{!}} HubCitySPOKES.com|website=www.hubcityspokes.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-14}}{{Cite news|url=https://misspreservation.com/2018/10/10/pat-harrison-waterway-building-before-forrest-county-destroyed-it/|title=Pat Harrison Waterway Building before Forrest County destroyed it|date=2018-10-10|work=Preservation in Mississippi|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/forrest-county/2018/10/11/tear-down-pat-harrison-waterway-district-building-upsets-some/1589439002/|title=Social media outcry after Forrest County Supervisors demolish waterway district building|work=Hattiesburg American|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en}}
Water resources
Water resources in the Pascagoula River Basin, over which Pat Harrison Waterway District has jurisdiction, include:
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- Big Creek
- Black Creek
- Bogue Homa Lake
- Bossie Creek
- Buckatunna Creek
- Chickasawhay River
- Chunky River
- Escatawpa River
- Gains Creek
- Leaf River
- Little Black Creek
- Okatoma Creek
- Pascagoula River
- Red Creek
- Tallahala Creek
- Thompson Creek
{{div col end}}
Water parks
The agency oversees eight water parks with public amenities that include camp sites, boat launches, cabins, picnic areas, swimming areas, and meeting facilities.
{{div col|colwidth=26em}}
- Archusa Creek Water Park (Quitman, MS)
- Big Creek Water Park (Soso, MS)
- Dry Creek Water Park (Mount Olive, MS)
- Dunns Falls Water Park (Enterprise, MS)
- Flint Creek Water Park (Wiggins)
- Maynor Creek Water Park (Waynesboro, MS)
- Okatibbee Water Park (Meridian, MS)
- Turkey Creek Water Park (Decatur, MS)
{{div col end}}
Little Black Creek Water Park (Lumberton, MS) was formerly managed by PHWD, but was leased to a private developer in 2013.{{Cite news|url=http://www.wlox.com/story/24463105/citizen-leases-little-black-creek-water-park-property|title=Citizen leases Little Black Creek Water Park property|work=WLOX.com|access-date=2018-04-14|language=en}}