We have all heard the old adage “Buy land. They aren’t making any more of it.”

The quote is attributed to lots of famous folks including Mark Twain and Will Rogers.

But the statement is one of those quips that are simultaneously true and false.

While it is true that aside from vol=canic eruptions that build land on the oceans’ edges, little to no truly new land is being built. God finished that work long ago.

But the underlying premise of the statement is false. The existence of land does not make that land worthy of an investment. It’s the economic value of that land that matters.

By global standards, the 110 acres of land adjacent to the Natchez-Adams County Port is a relatively small patch of earth. However, the site has the potential to be a game changer for

Adams County, particularly after Wednesday’s announcement of federal funds to help protect the land from the Mississippi River.

After years and years of talking, begging and pleading, local officials announced Wednesday that federal funds had been obtained through the Delta Regional Authority to construct a levee at the former Belwood Country Club site which is owned by the county.

The site is currently unprotected from routine, seasonal river flooding, which makes the site less than desirable for economic development purposes.

When the protective levee is completed, the site will be a prime development site, perhaps one of the best in the region as it provides access to the river and a capable port nearby, rail access and truck access.

We applaud the persistent work of local leaders who kept the issue in front of state and national leaders until the money was found.

Land may be commonplace, but with a group of hard-working people working to improve it, the land’s value jumps immensely.