April 28, 2025

GREAT NEWS! The River has crested!  

Hopefully this will be my LAST update for Spring 2025!

Arkansas City crested Friday April 25th at 42.4’.

Greenville crested Saturday April 26th at 54.7’. This is the 10th highest crest at Greenville since 1927.

Vicksburg crested Sunday April 27th at 49.4’. This is the 10th highest crest at Vicksburg since 1927.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

              Flood  Current   Change          Predicted

Gage                   Stage     Stage   Past 24 hrs   Crest & Date

Cairo (Ohio Rv)  40’         35.4’     -2.1’      Crested at 52.6’ on April 12

Memphis            34’         29.3’     -2.0’      Crested at 37.5’ on April 17

Helena                 44’        42.2’     -1.3’      Crested at 46.6’ on April 20

Arkansas City     37’        41.8’     -0.3’      Crested at 42.4’ on April 25

Greenville           48’        54.2’     -0.3’      Crested at 54.7’ on April 26

Vicksburg            43’        49.3’     -0.1’      Crested at 49.4’ on April 27  

Natchez               48’        55.7’     +0.1’     55.8’ on April 29

We have NOT had any issues or problems on the protected side (landside) of the levee with this highwater event.

However, there have been lots of impacts to roadways on the unprotected (riverside) of the levee:

Greenville Gage:

43.5’ -   Lower Lake Ferguson Road is CLOSED.  Road will resurface ~May 8th. The County will have to clear and check the road first.

45’ -       Warfield Point Park is CLOSED.  Park will resurface ~May 7th. The County will have to clean up the roads and the grounds at the Park.

50’ -       Upper Lake Ferguson is CLOSED.  Road will resurface ~Saturday May 3rd. The County will have to clear and check the road first.

Vicksburg Gage:

46.5’ -   Hwy 465 on the riverside of the levee from Hwy 61 to the YBW Levee headed to Eagle Lake is CLOSED.   Hwy 465 will resurface ~Sunday May 4th. MDOT will have to clear and check the road first and hopefully can re-open Hwy 465 on Monday May 5th.

Eagle Lake residents are permitted to ride the Yazoo Backwater Levee from Hwy 61 back to Hwy 465 to access Eagle Lake. No heavy trucks will be allowed.

BACKWATER

The Steele Bayou Structure Gates are closed.

The Backwater is currently at 90.4’ (up 0.16’ in past 24 hours).

The Corps predicts the Backwater will crest around 91’ to 91.5’’ before the gates can re-open.

At 91.5’ there are over 200,000 acres underwater in the South Delta.

The Corps predicts the gates will re-open around May 6th.

If the Yazoo Backwater Pumps were in place they would be able to hold the backwater at 90’.

Updated Yazoo Backwater Forecast for April 28, 2025:

-              Went above 90’ on April 26th

-              Peaking between 91.0’ and 91.5’ on May 6th, Gates forecast to Open on May 6th.

-              Below 91’ on May 7th

-              Below 90’ on May 8th

-              Below 89’ on May 10th

-              Below 88’ on May 11th

-              Below 87’ on May 13th

The Backwater will be Above 90' for 13 days, April 26th to May 8th.

ARKABUTLA LAKE

The Corps has been trying to hold the Lake at 204’. The emergency spillway is 238’.

The Lake crested April 10th at 227.8’.

The Lake is currently at 219.1’ (down 0.3’ in past 24 hours).

The Corps will be monitoring this Dam 24 hours per day during this event.

Thanks,

Peter Nimrod

Chief Engineer

MS Levee Board

P.O. Box 637

Greenville, MS 38701

(662)334-4813

peter@msleveeboard.com