The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is urging boaters to be careful when navigating on the Mississippi River and Yazoo River due to the low water levels.

“We’re urging people to use extreme caution when boating in the Mississippi or the Yazoo, especially in low light conditions and at night,” Sheriff Martin Pace said. “Because there are stumps and other obstacles protruding out of the water that could be catastrophic if struck by a boat.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the stage for the Mississippi River at Vicksburg was measured at 4.10 feet and is forecast to decline over the next few weeks, according to the National Weather Service.

“The low water is also potentially hampering our ability to launch for search and rescue operations,” Pace said.

In the event that the low water level prevents the sheriff’s office units from launching from the downtown waterfront boat ramp, or any other municipal ramp, Pace said he has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has granted access for the sheriff’s office to use a boat ramp within its secured facility if the need arises.

However, Pace noted that depending on the location of the emergency, launching from this ramp could possibly lengthen response times.

The last rescue operation the sheriff’s office performed was approximately two weeks ago when deputies were able to rescue a person and property from a small commercial vessel that sank.