- City:
- Pelahatchie, MS
- Site Type:
- Lakes and Ponds, Parks and Recreation
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1936
- Completed:
- 1938
- 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 a number of hill county cities including at Pelahatchie. 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. The State Game and Fish Commission’s rescue program for fish trapped in drying borrow pits and sloughs along the Mississippi River were used to restock the WPA lakes and state park lakes across the state.
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.
Ban is Placed on Motor Boats. (Sept 18, 1938). Clarion-Ledger, p. 11
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