U.S. Corps of Engineers open Steele Bayou gates

Due to rainfall in the Mississippi River Valley and Yazoo Basin, the Steele Bayou Control Structure’s gates have been closed since mid-March.

The control structure, which was built in 1969, combines with the Mississippi River and Yazoo Backwater levees to prevent the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers from backing up and further flooding the Mississippi Delta.

The structure’s gates are opened when elevations on the Mississippi River fall below the elevation of water in the interior Yazoo Backwater area.

National Weather Service forecasts indicate that the Mississippi River will continue to fall slowly over the next seven days.

USACE Vicksburg District personnel and local partners will continue to monitor the conditions of flood control works across the district’s jurisdiction, including levees, flood walls and pumping stations.

The district has observed no significant issues at its flood control sites