USACE Vicksburg District opens gates of Steele Bayou Drainage Structure

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District opened the gates of the Steele Bayou Drainage Structure, located approximately 10 miles north of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Friday, May 09.  The Steele Bayou Drainage Structure’s gates have been closed since April 10, 2025, when the Mississippi River rose rapidly due to heavy spring rainfall across the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.

Constructed in 1969 as a component of the Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries (MR&T) project, the Steele Bayou Drainage Structure - together with the Mississippi River and Yazoo Backwater levees - serves as a key component in mitigating flood risk in the Mississippi Delta. Its primary function is to prevent reverse flow from the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers into the Yazoo Backwater Area, thereby protecting critical infrastructure, agricultural lands, and communities.

Water levels on the Yazoo Backwater side of Steele Bayou crested at 91.3' before the gates were opened. Current conditions and forecasts can be monitored here: https://water.noaa.gov.  

USACE Vicksburg District personnel and local partners will continue to monitor the conditions of flood management works, including levees, flood walls and pumping stations across the district’s jurisdiction. The district has observed no significant issues caused by the recent flooding.

Residents are 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 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.

USACE Celebrates 250 Years -  For 250 years, the Corps of Engineers has been working to safely deliver quality projects on schedule and within budget. As we move forward, USACE continues to look to the future as we address today’s challenges.