The future of Wilkinson County may hinge on whether anyone in power listens — and then ultimately acts — on the feedback offered up Wednesday at a special Natchez meeting of the Mississippi River Commission.

Members of the Mississippi River Commission stopped in Natchez to seek public feedback on issues with the Mississippi River and in particular flood control matters surrounding what is the nation’s most important inland waterway.

Residents of Wilkinson County sought the river commission’s help since the river more and more frequently floods significant portions of the county, closing access to property owners and hampering the ability to raise and harvest timber on the land.

Development in the north and, perhaps, changes in the climate have caused what was once called a “100-year-flood” to happen practically each year. That’s caused untold damage to the value of property in Wilkinson County.

As county administrator Bruce Lewis pleaded with commissioners, “You laid out you have a 200-year plan. I sure hope Wilkinson County is on the front end of that plan because we can’t make it to the back end.”

Lewis is correct. Federal authorities took responsibility for the river years ago, but they appear to have forgotten about Wilkinson County.

It’s about time for that to be fixed and flood control measures put into place in Wilkinson County.