MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The National Weather Service (NWS), Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District agree that conditions no longer necessitate a Flash Flood Watch for the dam at Arkabutla Lake in Arkabutla, Mississippi, due to lowered pool levels.
Arkabutla Lake is known to respond quickly to short-term heavy rainfall. If conditions warrant, a new Flash Flood Watch and/or Warning will be considered for areas along the Coldwater River. All agencies will collaboratively monitor the weather forecast and situation for any changes.
The USACE Vicksburg District will continue to drawdown Arkabutla Lake levels to approximately 200 feet to allow district personnel to prepare for interim repairs scheduled for July.
Temporary solutions include structural modifications, increased instrumentation and monitoring, and emergency action planning. The district continues to assess the repairs timeline and will provide updates as they become available. Lake operations will not change after the temporary repairs are complete.
The district’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activated May 8 after crews discovered a depression near the toe of the dam, where the dam meets the earth, which could cause severe foundation loss and a breach if left untreated.
Additional information about Arkabutla Dam (identification number MS01496) can be found at the National Inventory of Dams (NID) at https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/#/dams/system/MS01496/summary.
For the latest lake level information and forecast, visit https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=arkm6&wfo=meg.
Public safety is the top priority.
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 nine 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.