A year after flooding in January, the Mississippi River is not only not behaving, it has been far below average winter levels.

The river stood at slightly over 4 feet on the Vicksburg gauge Tuesday afternoon, more than 13 feet below the Jan. 3 average.

That mark was up a foot and a half over its low from the past week – 3 feet at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve – and is expected to rise to almost 9 feet by next week, said Michael Logue, public affairs officer for the Vicksburg District Corps of Engineers. &#8220We’re going to 8.8 on the 8th,” said Logue. &#8220We’re in a rising phase.”

Late in January 2005, the river topped 44 feet, coming within inches of matching a January record.

Flood or bankfull stage in Vicksburg is 43 feet, so the extra foot flooded some roads. The greatest effects were on hunters. With water concentrating game mammals, state officials suspended seasons up and down the river. With so much water available, ducks were dispersed and harder for hunters to locate.

River traffic was also disrupted after barges were lost to strong currents, hit the U.S. 80 and Interstate 20 bridges and sank.

&#8220Last year at this time we were up pretty high,” said Peter Nimrod, chief engineer for the Mississippi Levee Board in Greenville. &#8220Last year was probably about as high as it’s ever been for January. From year to year, that river’s never consistent.”

River stage is measured by a gauge on the Mississippi River Bridge 52 feet above sea level, said Logue. The river rarely falls below that mark, which represents &#8220zero,” and could actually be more than 100 feet deep at any time, Logue said.

There is always a &#8220spring rise” in the river due to increased rainfall and melting snow in the river’s northern basin , said Nimrod, and typically a decline in the fall and winter months. November and December are considered the beginning of the rainy season – December precipitation in central Mississippi averages 5.9 inches, making it the wettest month on average – but brought unusually little rain in 2005. Vicksburg has not recorded any precipitation since Christmas Eve.

&#8220There’s just been a lack of rainfall throughout the Mississippi Valley,” Nimrod said. &#8220This year we’re really at an extreme low.”

The low stage shouldn’t affect boats moving up or down the river, said Logue, who estimated the river would have to drop into negative numbers before tows had any problems.