The city of Ridgeland is exploring funding options to repair erosion behind the soccer stadium at Freedom Ridge Park.
Repairs are estimated to cost $250,000 to $400,000, said Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee
Erosion along the tributary of Purple Creek that runs behind the soccer stadium was first noticed in the fall of 2024, he said.
“Since then, the city has been monitoring the site, reviewing possible solutions and looking for funding options to address the problem,” he said.
Emergency repairs are necessary to safeguard public safety, protect municipal assets and stabilize the impacted area after heavy rain occurred May 9-11.
McGee said the May storm event and similar recent high intensity rainfall events produced precipitation that generated peak flows within the unnamed tributary of Purple Creek.
“These flows resulted in high-velocity water movement through the channel,” he said. “This excessive hydraulic energy caused significant lateral and vertical erosion along the stream segment adjacent to the permanent soccer grandstand at Freedom Ridge Park.”
The soccer stadium was built in 2005-2006 and is still used for high school games, college games and youth recreational games and tournaments.
“The stadium field is used more than any of the four soccer fields we have at Freedom Ridge Park,” McGee said.
The city plans to request federal assistance through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services Emergency Watershed Protection Program to address the damage.
The Emergency Watershed Protection Program was created to assist communities with watershed impairments created by natural disasters.
Damage must be from the result of a sudden watershed storm/rainfall event, and a qualifying rainfall event is greater than four inches in 24 hours or greater than one inch rainfall in one house A site must have more than $15,000 worth of damage and have a potential for loss of life if nothing is done to correct the problem.
