Vicksburg District closes outlet, nearby areas at Arkabutla Lake for routine inspection

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District has closed the south side of the outlet channel at Arkabutla Lake for routine maintenance and inspection.

Flood control structures at the outlet will undergo periodic inspections throughout August and September. While the water level in the outlet channel is lowered, additional work to protect the shoreline and remove hazardous trees will also be underway.

Affected areas include the Coldwater River boat ramp, the South Outlet Campground and the Swinging Bridge Nature Trail. One parking lot is closed on the north side of the outlet channel, and the rest of the area will remain open to the public. Due to the amount of equipment moving through the area, the south side of the outlet will reopen when inspections and maintenance have concluded and conditions are safe.

The periodic inspection and maintenance of flood control structures is important to ensure that the overall flood control system continues to function as designed. The structures at Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada control drainage for approximately 4,425 square miles in North Mississippi.

Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada lakes, the four Mississippi flood control reservoirs in the Vicksburg District’s area of responsibility, were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936, which provided a plan designed to address flooding that originated in the Yazoo Basin. The four reservoirs are used to hold runoff, or excess rainwater, as a flood-prevention measure. With approximately 3.2 million visitors each year, the north Mississippi lakes also contribute approximately $82 million into the local economy.

The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. 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 Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.

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