VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District provided an update on forecasts and conditions across the district’s jurisdiction March 31.
The National Weather Service has forecasted an average of 0.5-1.5 inches of rainfall over the Lower Mississippi River Valley over the next seven days. The Mississippi River is expected to crest at Arkansas City, Arkansas, at 43 feet April 6; Greenville, Mississippi, at 54.5 feet April 7; Vicksburg, Mississippi, at 50 feet April 8; and Natchez, Mississippi, at 57 feet April 9. These predictions are based on two days of forecasted rainfall and may change based on future rainfall.
Based on seven days of forecasted rainfall, the Yazoo Backwater Area is expected to crest at 96-96.5 feet in the coming weeks. The gates of the Steele Bayou Control Structure, located approximately 10 miles north of Vicksburg, Mississippi, were closed March 30 due to rising stages on the Mississippi River. The gates of the Little Sunflower Control Structure were closed March 25.
The gates of the flood control structures at Sardis and Grenada lakes in north Mississippi remain open to regain storage capacity after recent rainfall.
Based on recent rainfall and seven-day precipitation forecasts, Grenada Lake is anticipated to rise within two feet of its spillway crest within the week. The reservoir at Grenada Lake Dam is currently at an elevation of 228.1 feet, and the project’s spillway is at an elevation of 231 feet. Based on current water on the ground and the National Weather Service’s seven-day precipitation forecasts, Grenada Lake is not anticipated to reach spillway crest this week; however, future rainfall could cause this forecast to change.
The gates of the flood control structure at Enid Lake remain closed.
The district’s three flood control reservoirs in Arkansas – Lake Ouachita, Lake Greeson and DeGray Lake – have 97-100% of their flood control storage capacity available.
Stages on the Red River in Arkansas and Louisiana are expected to increase slightly this week due to forecasted rainfall. No navigation closures are anticipated at this time. The Ouachita River at Monroe, Louisiana, will crest at 39.8 feet April 1 according to recent forecasts.
District personnel and their local partners will continue to monitor the conditions of flood control works, including levees, flood walls and pumping stations across the entirety of the district’s jurisdiction.
The public is encouraged to contact local authorities and management officials for updates about conditions in their area and should avoid activities on or near flood control works.
The Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The 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 Mississippi River levees. The district is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.
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