Arkabutla Dam: Construction and Monitoring Updates

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District (USACE-MVK) continues to advance interim risk reduction measures at Arkabutla Dam in northwest Mississippi. Contractor Frontier Services, Inc., began construction and equipment mobilization in early May.

Currently, workers are installing drill pads for piezometers, automated instruments used for monitoring groundwater pressure. Relief wells, which act like valves to relieve water pressure and divert excess water safely, are scheduled to follow. These wells help prevent sand boils. The additional piezometers will enhance the USACE-MVK’s monitoring capability by sending data hourly to the technical team, enabling real-time analysis of conditions.

Above all, safety remains a top priority for the USACE Vicksburg District. Lake staff and additional personnel are vigilantly monitoring the situation at Arkabutla Dam for any changes.

Highway 51 Landing, providing boating access into the Coldwater River above Arkabutla Dam, will remain the only open boat ramp at Arkabutla Lake. Furthermore, camping and other recreational uses of the Arkabutla Lake area remain open, except for day-use and fee-use areas directly downstream of the dam.

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. It 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.