RIVER OUTLOOK: HIGH WATER INSPECTION STARTS MONDAY IN CAIRO

CAIRO - Members of the Mississippi River Commission will conduct their annual high water inspection on the Mississippi River, beginning Monday.

Four public meetings have been scheduled aboard the Motor Vessel Mississippi in selected towns along the river so members of the commission can keep in touch with local citizens and get feedback from residents.

The first public meeting aboard the Mississippi will begin Monday, at 9 a.m., at Cairo, at the foot of Eighth Street. Other meetings are planned Tuesday at the new Helena, Ark. harbor; Wednesday at Greenville, Miss. city front; and the final meeting Friday in New Orleans.

Each meeting will include a State of the Valley report by Brigadier General Pat M. Stevens and presentations by public officials and private citizens. Also, district engineers will report on Mississippi River and Tributaries Projects in their respective districts at the Cairo, Greenville and New Orleans meetings.

The MRC was organized in 1879 and is composed of seven members, each nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.

Duties of the MRC include recommendation of policy and works programs, the study of and reporting upon the necessity for modifications or additions to flood control and navigation projects, and making inspection trips.

The area of responsibility for the Mississippi River Commission extends along the Mississippi River and its tributaries from Cape Girardeau to the Gulf of Mexico. The commission usually inspects the river and holds public hearings twice each year, once in the spring during high water, and in the fall during low water.