To relieve the fears of residents downstream of Arkabutla Dam in northern Mississippi, the Army Corp of Engineers was invited by the Delta Council to speak to area residents in Marks, Miss., on Dec. 13.

The Corp assured residents that they were working for a solution to the May 9 discovery that they had identified potential breach conditions at the dam. The Corp’s Emergency Operations Center was put in place to respond to any impacts that might occur in the area.

Recreation spots downstream of the dam were closed and downstream residents held their breath.

I remember asking one resident if she was concerned about the emergency declaration. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at me as if to say, “What are you going to do?”

Water level in the lake was to be lowered to 210 feet to reduce breach potential and the Corp initiated emergency repairs to a sink hole that had occurred in one of the dam’s outlet structures.

A week later it was determined that dam failure was not imminent, but it did little to relieve the concerns. Each time it rained, residents sat in fear, anticipating the potential for disaster if conditions forced more water into the area behind the dam.

The short-term solution until the necessary repairs are made, is to keep the lake levels low and manage outflow to prohibit build up behind the dam and prevent flooding below the dam, until the depression at the toe of the structure can be repaired.

According to the Corp, the dam, which was constructed in 1943, is 65 feet high, 10,000 feet long and reduces flood risk for 19,000 residents. The dam protects $510 million in homes and businesses.

I need to stress how important the Army Corp is and how much I believe that the local district works extremely hard to make sure that their fellow residents of the Delta stay safe and dry on many fronts – they are our first line of defense in water/flow related emergency situations in the Delta.

Now we need to talk about the speed at which they are forced to work because of regulations.

Number one on the list of questions for the Corp at the meeting in Marks was, “How long will it take to repair the dam?”

Bottom line: years. A complete dam study and modification assessment is set to be completed by July 2024, before funding, design and construction bids are formalized.

In the meantime, initial short-term repairs will happen in the next 60 days.

A full repair of the dam will take as many as 12 to 15 years. During that time, the Corp will institute a protocol of assessment and action, which they hope will protect residents from inundation.

For more information go to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers website.