Vicksburg, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District began daily patrols of flood control works, such as levees, floodwalls, relief wells, pumping stations and reservoirs, Feb. 25 due to forecasted high water on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
Personnel from the Vicksburg District’s headquarters and its Vidalia, Louisiana, area office are deploying across the region to conduct inspection and surveillance operations on flood control works. At this time, the district has observed no significant sand boils or seepage at flood control sites.
The National Weather Service has forecasted the Mississippi River to crest at the Vicksburg, Mississippi, gage at 51.5 feet by March 14 and at the Natchez, Mississippi, gage at 58 feet by March 16.
“We are currently experiencing a higher-than-normal rainfall across the region that has contributed to elevated water levels” said Vicksburg District Commander Col. Michael C. Derosier. “The district will continue to collaborate with our federal, state and local partners to monitor flood control works.”
On Feb. 20, Vicksburg District employees identified a landslide at Enid Lake in Mississippi and detected additional movement on the landslide Feb. 22. Enid Lake is one of four flood control reservoirs in Mississippi, along with Arkabutla, Sardis and Grenada, that the Vicksburg District uses to store water to reduce flows downstream during flood events. After inspections, district engineers determined the landslide was superficial, causing no degradation to the dam or bank stabilization around the lake.
Citizens are encouraged to contact their local authorities and management officials for updates about conditions in their area and to avoid activities on or near flood control works. Citizens should also be advised that Steele Bayou has been closed since Feb. 15 and will remain closed as the flood fight continues.
The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline levees. The district is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,000 personnel.
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