Mississippi Code Title 51. Waters, Water Resources, Water Districts, Drainage, and Flood Control § 51-29-119

Any drainage district operating under the provisions of this chapter, having as its purpose and object a comprehensive and general plan to control overflow and surplus water of rivers and their tributaries, is hereby given the power, in addition to the foregoing powers given by this chapter, to construct and maintain by-passes for conveying surplus and overflow waters by means of ditches, canals, floodways, levees, conduits, or other artificial means by shorter and more direct route from tributaries of natural streams and their watersheds to their main water course, and from one point in a natural water course to another point therein. However, said by-passes, ditches, canals, floodways, levees, or conduits shall empty the water directly into the same watercourse to which it would naturally flow.