Greenville Mayor and State Senator Highlight Water Security at Mississippi River Conference

Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons and Mississippi Senate Minority Leader Derrick T. Simmons joined regional and national leaders Wednesday in Natchez for the 2026 Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) Annual Meeting. The event, held September 15–17, focused on water security, economic development, infrastructure, and resilience in the Mississippi River Corridor.

During a mayors’ press conference and a panel discussion titled “Building a Corridor Unified by Water Quantity Protection & Financial Opportunity,” both leaders emphasized the importance of safeguarding Mississippi’s freshwater resources. Mayor Simmons highlighted water’s role as an economic, agricultural, public health, and quality-of-life resource in Greenville and the broader Delta region.

“Water is not just an environmental resource—it is an economic resource,” Simmons said. “In the Mississippi Delta, water sustains our farmers, industries, communities, and the river economy that connects us to the nation and the world.” He stressed that protecting water supplies should go hand-in-hand with efforts to boost economic opportunities along the corridor.

Senator Simmons discussed efforts to advance legislation in Mississippi aimed at protecting freshwater resources and supporting the development of a Mississippi River interstate compact. “The Great Lakes have the Great Lakes Compact to secure their resources. The Mississippi River does not yet have that protection,” he said. “As droughts and heat persist, the need to secure our water resources becomes more urgent.”

The senator expressed his intention to pursue state legislation to help realize a Mississippi River Compact, emphasizing responsible stewardship of this vital resource for agriculture, the economy, and future generations. The conference also addressed economic coordination, including private investments, manufacturing, data infrastructure, resilience financing, and the creation of a Mississippi River Economic Council.

Mayor Simmons, who serves as MRCTI’s Mississippi State Chair, has represented Mississippi River communities on issues related to water, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability at national and international levels.

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