Riding the Levee

[BR549]

The only place the levee is "public" is were the state has made a road or acess to something. It is not state owned or maintained. Your and my state tax dollars do not pay for it or maintain it. It was put there to protect your ass in high water conditions. I wouldn't go against the levee board. If anyone has legit buisness on it or crossing it no one will say anything to you. But the just going out there and joyriding or illeagle hunting that goes on all the time does need to stop. The barrow pits are not public to fishing either just most landowners are nice enough to let people enjoy themselves provided they don't harm anything. Such as littering or cutting ruts when it's wet. That levee can be your only salvation in times of high water and I for one would like to see it protected at all times. Go accross the river and try to ride up or down the levee in Ar. or La. and see what happens. Not trying to start a beef with anyone just my views.

[Unlucky Ducky]

Well said br549....A few other points.

1. The levee's main purpose is to protect valuable farm land, cities, and homes from flooding, I don't think the intent was let's build levee's for folks to joy ride on, illegally hunt from, spot-light wildlife, litter on, etc.....

2. My taxes pay the governor's salary as well, but that don't give me right to set-up shop in his office and call it my own. I'm sure somewhere in the equation some of my tax dollars go to fund/support the levee in some way, but that doesn't give me right to call it mine, ride it, do as I please with it, without some rules and/or legal restrictions. If there is a state or county road on the levee is one thing, but driving thru gates and past signs that prohibit riding is wrong unless you have a legitimate reason for doing so, which is what one of the levee patrols purpose is.

3. I'm sure the time of year has something to do with whether or not the levee patrol is more strict or not. In the summer heat when there is little damage that can done they may be more tolerable to folks using the levee. However, in the spring/winter when the levee is softer and ruts and erosion is possible there is probably a more zero tolerance approach.

4. Lastly, the more folks ride the levee, litter, disrespect signage, hunt illegally, and act like jackass's, the more heat they are gonna get from the levee patrol, wildlife officers, landowners, etc...

Just wait until we have that 20-30 year flood again and the levee fails, when your trailer gets washed away further down into the delta don't ask why. You'll already know the answer since you rode the levee and jeopordized its integrity.

[the doctor]

but ducky

my trailer is on concrete blocks with big tires on the roof

no way its going anywhere!!!!!

the doc

[River Hunter]

Dont worry unluckyducky i have built floatation devices for my trailor. Besides does people riding the levee cause that much harm erodeing ect...

[Delta Duck]

Not til they ride up and down the side of the levee

[Wildfowler]

Or creating boat wake along the bank of the levee during flood conditions. They'll bust your booty for that too.

[River Hunter]

What about all the people that come over and ride the levee when it snows they gona outlaw that too. I admit there are alot of people that abuse the right but not all of us do so i guess we will all be pentalized for other peoples' actions

[Morning Wood]

the levee is not public property. There are two levee board districts. Both districts are created in our state constitution. Mississippi Levee Board covers bolivar, washington, humphreys, sharkey, warren and issaquena counties and is based in greenville. The northern is the in clarksdale and governs Tunica, Coahoma, Quitman, Sunflower, DeSoto, Tallahatchie, Leflore, and Yazoo Counties.Through the power of eminent domain, an easement was taken on private property by the two levee boards in order to construct a protection for all. Should the easement ever be abandoned or destroyed, the rights to the levee return to the revisionary land owner.

Along with the easement comes the right to control the use of the surface of the levee and its burms and adjacent right of ways, including keeping people off. The levee board contracts out these rights, usually grazing rights for cattle, to persons. They usually give preference to the revisionary land owner. The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee District (coahoma co. and north) has rented rights to the casinos. they get $$ for every car that crosses the levee. That's why there are counters as you go over it. This has created a huge amount of capital for the levee board and allowed that district to buy additional lands behind the levee which appear to be destined to become the hunting club of these commisioners and their patriarch, bennie thompson, and their cronies. the levee board district in greenville (which controls the rosedale area River Hunter) doesn't get near that much money. Both districts set a tax on all lands within the district of between 2 and 5 cents per acre except for land on the unprotected side of the levee. They also get $$ from the federal government to operate.

River Hunter ought to remember either catching hell for riding a three wheeler on the levee many moons ago or having to take evasive actions to avoid the same. I have also seen the levee board close sections of the levee, especially at miller bend north of greenville, during rainy weather when the road on spur levee's would get torn up by traffic. Long and short of it: they can do pretty much what they like with regards to keeping you off of the levee.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

Well, you fellers ain't got to go and get all mad about it??? What's a little beer drink'in and levee riding among friends?? Ain't you ever heard that song about tak'in your Chevy to the levee?? Man, its a Delta thang. Tradition!

Seems to me a feller could get his ass whooped messing with a good ole Delta boy drink'in and joy rid'in on the levee , levee enforcement officer or not!!! What the heck is a levee enforcement officer anyway?? Sounds like a glorified rent a cop. Must be part of a federal, yankee communist conspiracy to stop yet another southern tradition. Probably the result of some pinhead's tax dollar funded study concluding that spilled beer and tire pressure on the levee harms the integrity of the levee.

[gadwall2]

I don't know Buff, I hear that the levee officers are some pretty rough dudes. I think they are gonna be the first wave when we officially invade Iraq.

Somebody who knows how to deal with beer drinkin, levee ridin rednecks from Mississippi has got to be a bad feller. Sadaam better go hole up with Osama!

[no angel]

gadwall somebody lied to you. if these sissy go 1st we are "@#$%#"! i would love to see these officials tell some of these riverboat boys they were joyriding and go home. nobody said anything about hunting but just riding. there is nothing they can do. we ride it alot to go over to the hunting camp or go to town from the camp 5-10 miles of riding to keep off highway. if you are not from this area or live close to the levee you have no clue so just hush up!!!! let this one die because no one knows the law but i bet you will not get a ticket for it.

[gadwall2]

WOW! Seems as though noangel has had his toes stepped on. Why can't I talk about it, after all:

ITS MY MISSISSIPPI TOO

[Delta Duck]

I don't think any one has a problem with people riding the levee. I think it is wonderful for a family to take an afternoon ride. The problem comes from just a few pricks that throw trash and junk and ride up and down the side of the levee. We lease about 10 miles of levee from the Levee board. I have to pick up beer bottles and trash all the time.

I don't care who you are, If I catch anyone, even riverboat boys throwing beer bottles or acting stupid, they will be picking the trash up or be wanting me to call the officials. It want be the levee board I would call. The Tunica county sheriff's department would love to get a hold of some good ole boy's with a smart mouth on them.

[highhuntin]

ride on.... ohhhh yeahhhhh and dont forget to take a toke for me!!!!!!!!!

[River Hunter]