- City:
- Byram, MS
- Site Type:
- Lakes and Ponds, Parks and Recreation
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1936
- Completed:
- 1937
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- Unknown
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
A chain of lakes for the hill counties of Mississippi was proposed in 1936 by Si Corley, director of conservation of the State Game and Fish commission. Funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in concert with the sponsorship of the Game and Fish commission began the construction of a series of lakes adjacent to cities including Dockery Lake near Byram. Dockery Lake completed an earthen dam by April 1937 and began sodding it. Corley pointed out that in addition to providing sites for outdoor sports, when fully stocked, the lakes could produce 2,000 pounds of fish per acre each year. In addition, they would be migratory bird sanctuaries. Rescued fish trapped in borrow pits and sloughs along the Mississippi River were used to stock the WPA constructed lakes at completion.
Source notes
Chain of Lakes Will Be Built: Hill Counties of State To Be Supplied with Fishing Places. (July 31, 1936. The Yazoo Herald, p. 2.
Boats Ordered Off Byram Lake. (April 16, 1937). Clarion-Ledger, p. 8.
Fish Rescue Program Gets in Full Stride. (July 19, 1938). The Greenwood Commonwealth, p. 7.
Site originally submitted by Susan Allen on July 7, 2020.
Contribute to this Site
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.
Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site
Join the Conversation