Work will begin early next week to construct a temporary levee at the Muddy Bayou Control Structure near the Eagle Lake community.

The Vicksburg District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will construct the small levee, which officials said will keep the Muddy Bayou structure from being overrun by rising floodwater from the Yazoo backwater area.

“What concerns us is rising water in the backwater area could flank the (Muddy Bayou) structure and wash it out,” said Robert Simrall, Corps chief of water control, during a public hearing Friday with Eagle Lake residents.

The Muddy Bayou structure was built in 1978, and is designed to keep floodwaters in the Yazoo backwater area from inundating Eagle Lake, located northwest of Vicksburg. On Friday, the structure was holding out more than 12 feet of water from the flooded backwater area from entering the lake. The backwater area is flooding because the gates of the Steele Bayou Control Structure, located south of the Muddy Bayou structure, have been closed since March 13 to keep out floodwaters from the Mississippi River.

On Friday, the water stage on the landside of the Steele Bayou structure was 90.9 feet. On the riverside of the structure, the water stage was 99.9 feet, meaning 9 feet of river water was being held out of the backwater area.

With normal rainfall over the 4,000 square mile backwater area, the landside water stage of the backwater area is expected to reach 94 feet by middle to late May. Normal rain, said Simrall, is about 5 inches over the next few weeks.

“Ninety-four feet is getting pretty close to where we would be concerned about water coming in around the (Muddy Bayou) structure,” said Simrall. “So we decided we needed to go ahead and build this small levee to make sure our structure will remain intact and provide a little bit of protection for (Eagle) Lake itself.”

Low spots on the levee near the Muddy Bayou structure measure about 95 feet. The levee being built next week will run from the south side of the Muddy Bayou structure to Mississippi 465, said Simrall, and will effectively raise low spots by about 2.5 to 3 feet.

About 100 people, most of whom are Eagle Lake community residents, converged at the Corps district headquarters building in Vicksburg on Friday evening for a public hearing on the Muddy Bayou structure. Frank Worley, Corps public information officer, said the meeting was organized to inform concerned residents about the upcoming work at the structure, as well as to dispel rumors the structure would be opened to relieve flooding in the Yazoo backwater area — which would, in effect, flood Eagle Lake.

“I’m going to answer the most asked question right now,” said Worley at the outset of the meeting, which lasted a little more than an hour. “We have no plans to flood Eagle Lake at this time.”

The assembly of residents applauded Worley’s comments, but after a short explanatory presentation from Simrall, many residents still wanted to know more about the conditions that could lead to the opening of the Muddy Bayou structure in the future.

“If we got to 96.5 and rising (on the landside of the Steele Bayou structure) we would be evaluating whether or not we need to open the Muddy Bayou structure,” said Simrall. “We’re at 90.9 right now. It’s going to take 10 inches of rain over the entire backwater basin to get to 96.5. After we would receive that 10 inches of rain it would take several days to reach 96.5 at the Steele Bayou structure.”

Many residents wanted to know how they would be informed about the opening of the Muddy Bayou structure if it was necessary. Worley said the Corps would let residents know through further public hearings and media releases.

“If we even get close to making that decision, we’re going to let you know in plenty of time so you can make every preparation necessary,” he said.

Bob Harrison has lived on Eagle Lake since 1973. He said the Corps plan is sound, and believes it will help keep the gates of the Muddy Bayou structure from being opened.

“They’re doing the right thing,” said Harrison of the temporary levee. “It’s going to work.”

The only time the Muddy Bayou structure gates were opened by the Corps was during the flood of 1979, when the landside water stage of the Steele Bayou structure reached 96.5 feet. Simrall said it took six days for the lake to reach an equal water stage with the backwater area once the gates were opened.

About 588 homes are located in the Eagle Lake community, according to the local water district, some of which are used as fishing camps and others which are occupied year-round. The area has experienced relatively rapid growth compared to surrounding areas, with only 200 homes being located in the community in 1990 — an increase of nearly 300 percent in less than two decades.

The Mississippi River at Vicksburg was flowing at 50.8 feet Friday evening, a rise of 0.1 foot in a 12 hour cycle. The river is forecast to crest today at 51 feet. Flood stage at the city is 43 feet.