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NATCHEZ — Heavy erosion during rain events has impacted residences and a cemetery on Morgantown Road.

Rev. Greggory Watkins of the Church of Jesus Christ God’s Son at 241 Morgantown Road described during Monday’s Adams County Board of Supervisors Meeting a serious erosion problem affecting the property and the graveyard of the church.

“All of the water at that end of Morgantown Road is being directed to our property. It’s being directed to a bayou that surrounds our property and it’s eroding more and more, causing graves to be affected tremendously. We’re trying to see if there is anything you all can do to rectify the situation.”

Adams County Road Supervisor Robbie Dollar said the water flows along a natural drain toward the bayou that so happens to be near the church, adding that the county did not “direct” water to flow onto the church property.

Another resident in the area built a berm on private land to protect their property, which resulted in more water flowing onto church property.

George Ford of IMS Engineers suggested building a berm behind the church to prevent water from flowing onto the cemetery land and directing it toward the bayou instead, but this solution did not satisfy Watkins or other church representatives.

“What he told me they were going to do is go down to the back side of the church and build up some dirt there and let the water continue to travel down 50 to 60 yards in our property that is continuously washing away. Our property is not being respected at all.”

Ford also said that without grass on the graveyard to prevent it from washing out, whatever soil is put down to cover the graves will continue to wash away.

Watkins argued that the engineers to came up with this plan also have not seen a video of the rain, nor have they been to the property when it was flooding to get a clear picture of where the water is flowing.

Where it was suggested to sod or plant grass on the graveyard has exposed tree roots because the erosion is that bad, Watkins said. “He needs to see an active flow of water and then make a decision,” he said.

Supervisors suggested sending videos of the flooding to Ford and then letting him come back with his recommendation after more review, which seemed to appease the church representatives.

Two other residents in the same area of Morgantown Road, including Dr. Benedict Udemgba and Tommy Smith, have complained of similar drainage problems causing erosion issues on their properties, Dollar said.

Udemgba, who was at Monday’s meeting, said it was his third time to approach officials for help for erosion that is digging a deep ravine through his property and exposing underground electrical wires and utilities.

“It’s terrible. I’ve come crying for help, the reason being the water and the rain that is coming is really disturbing. … Last time when I came here nine months ago, the erosion was maybe 10 feet. Now it’s over 25.”

Dollar said officials had tried one way of relieving the erosion by installing a drainage pipe that did not work. Now, officials are looking to submit it to the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection program after the next rain event to see if they can receive additional resources to fix the issue, he said.