Steele Bayou gates reopened Saturday

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District opened the gates of the Steele Bayou Control Structure, located approximately 10 miles north of Vicksburg Saturday, June 13.

Due to high stages on the Mississippi River, the Steele Bayou Control Structure’s gates have been closed since June 1. The Steele Bayou Control Structure, which was built in 1969, combined with the Mississippi River and Yazoo Backwater levees, prevents the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers from backing up and further flooding the Delta.

Current stages observed on the Mississippi River within the USACE Vicksburg District’s jurisdiction are 32.9 feet at Arkansas City, Arkansas; 44.5 feet at Greenville, Mississippi; 43.7 feet at Vicksburg, Mississippi; and 52.2 feet at Natchez, Mississippi. River stages at these locations are predicted to continue to fall for the next few weeks.

Vicksburg 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.