The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announced that select recreation areas at Arkabutla Lake, located approximately 35 miles north of Marks, Mississippi, and Sardis Lake, located approximately 90 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, have been closed due to damage from severe weather over the weekend.
At Arkabutla Lake, the Hernando Point campground, boat ramp and day-use area have been closed. District park rangers, natural resources specialists and other team members have begun to remove debris from the area and anticipate reopening the boat ramp and day-use areas within the next few weeks. The campground sustained heavier damage from the storm and will remain closed until further notice. Visitors should contact the Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 662-562-6261 for more information.
At Sardis Lake, the Weir boat ramp area and its entrance road will remain closed until further notice. Downed trees and other debris have made the road impassable. Visitors should use the Highway 35 boat ramp in Batesville, Mississippi, until the Weir boat ramp is reopened. Visitors should contact the Sardis Lake Field Office at 662-563-4531 for more information.
The road across the Sardis Dam was temporarily closed for several hours Jan. 13 to remove debris caused by the storm.
Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada lakes, the four Mississippi flood control reservoirs in the Vicksburg District’s area of responsibility, were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936, which provided a plan designed to address flooding that originated in the Yazoo Basin. The four reservoirs are used to hold runoff, or excess rainwater, as a flood-prevention measure. With approximately 3.2 million visitors each year, the north Mississippi lakes also contribute approximately $82 million into the local economy.
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