VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District provided an update March 6:
The National Weather Service has forecasted two-to-three inches of rainfall near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers over the next seven days. The northern half the Vicksburg District's jurisdiction is predicted to receive one-to-one-and-a-quarter inch of rain while the southern half is predicted to receive one-quarter-to-one inch of rain.
Due to heavy local rainfall over the past week, the Mississippi River within the Vicksburg District's jurisdiction has had a delayed fall. The Mississippi River at Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi, are beginning to fall and are predicted to continue to do so over the next two weeks. However, these projections may change based on future rainfall.
The gates of the Steele Bayou Control Structure, located approximately 10 miles north of Vicksburg, remain open, and the head on the structure is increasing as the Mississippi River begins to fall. However, due to heavy local rainfall, the water level on the interior of the structure has risen slightly this week. The elevation is predicted to begin to fall over the weekend.
The gates of the Yazoo Basin reservoirs -- Sardis, Enid, Grenada and Arkabutla lakes -- are open and are releasing water. Water elevations are falling at all of the reservoirs except for Grenada Lake, which is expected to begin to fall over the weekend.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District engineers and technical experts continue to monitor water levels and flood control works across the region; work with our local, state and federal partners; and provide updates as they become available.
Release no. 20-018