NATCHEZ &8212; Money needed to improve the canal system that drains north and downtown Natchez

won&8217;t come the city&8217;s way unless other cities with ongoing projects don&8217;t need all their money.

That&8217;s according to Renee Turner, a senior project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working closely with the canal project.

A bill recently passed by Congress included $25 million for Corps projects in Mississippi.

The Natchez project&8217;s first phase &8212; shoring up the main drainage canal, an aging brick structure that runs under Canal Street, &8212; would cost about $4.5 million, according to City Engineer and Waterworks Superintendent David Gardner.

But the $25 million received from Congress must first go to the 10 projects the Corps already has under construction this year in Mississippi, Turner said.

&8220;Then, if they don&8217;t need all their money,&8221; Natchez could possibly be funded, Turner said.

After those 10 ongoing projects, how much of a priority is Natchez&8217;s request?

&8220;It&8217;s right up there with the rest of them,&8221; Turner said, referring to 10 upcoming projects for which the Corps has signed agreements, including Natchez&8217;s.

&8220;It&8217;s hard to tell if Natchez&8217;s request will be fully funded this year,&8221; Turner said. &8220;We&8217;ll look at construction slips (for the current projects) on a monthly basis and go from there.&8221;

The first phase would involve shoring up the main drainage structure -&8212; a brick canal under Canal Street &8212; so it wouldn&8217;t cave in again, something that happened in front of the Canal Street post office in 2003.

After that&8217;s completed, crews would start to make improvements to the drainage system running into the main canal.