MS River Shut Down Again @ Greenville

Took this picture yesterday of sandbars out in the middle in the bend of the MS River @ Vicksburg.

According to our paper today, The Vicksburg Post, about 50 barges were sitting still in the closed MS River near Greenville this morning after a barge ran aground during the weekend.

Two miles of the river designated a "safety zone" for light barges south of the city could reopen today, depending on conditions, Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Tippets said.

A barge ran past buoys in the river that had marked the navigation channel Saturday evening, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.

Tippets said 24 barges waited to go north and 30 waited to head south this morning.

Part of the river near Baton Rouge was to close today to dredge the drought-lowered river.

Stages at the Vicksburg gauge dipped to minus 0.58 feet this morning, down two-tenths since Sunday.  The record low in the city is minus 7 feet in 1940.

A small towboat pushing an empty barge up the river yesterday staying close to the land headed north.

Dredging crews with the Corps and private vessels are active along the river in several states, trying to keep open a navigable channel.  Weather forecasters say the Mississippi could remain low until October.

The river was closed at Greenville last Monday for more than 24 hours after a barge ran aground, leaving river traffic stalled.