Thread: Snow and Water Levels

The snow up north has zero effect on COE lake levels. Most of the snow melts into the Mississippi River system, and it comes no where close to our lakes. Not sure where the snow in the Northeast melts into, though, but I'm pretty sure it won't affect our rivers and lakes in any way. My 2 cents, lol.

Originally Posted by duckhunter

The snow up north has zero effect on COE lake levels. Most of the snow melts into the Mississippi River system, and it comes no where close to our lakes. Not sure where the snow in the Northeast melts into, though, but I'm pretty sure it won't affect our rivers and lakes in any way. My 2 cents, lol.

Hmm....I thought the entire purpose of the COE lakes was to have the ability to keep water OUT of the MS river to prevent flooding downstream.

it is and to keep the delta and downstream from flooding. and to answer your question if they can keep it at curve they will.

Snow in the NE has zero impact on the corps lakes in MS. Some of it could affect on Kentucky lake and Pickwick depending on which rivers like the Ohio are impacted by snow melt. Most of that huge snow fall in Boston and that area is going to go in rivers up in that area and will drain into the Great Lakes or the Atlantic Ocean. Michigan,Wiscinson and that area will drain into the Ms and only impact us in Ms if the Ms river jumps up to high flood stages. Then they would have to start holding water.

Originally Posted by 27458

Hmm....I thought the entire purpose of the COE lakes was to have the ability to keep water OUT of the MS river to prevent flooding downstream.

I think the purpose is to keep the water out of the Yazoo, Yalabusha, and Tallahatchie rivers. The Yalabusha and Tallahtchie meet to form the Yazoo, which empties into the Mississippi at Vicksburg, way too far south to affect delta flooding. What water empties into the Mississippi at Vicksburg will have minimal impact on the Mississippi River before it empties into the Gulf. I think they are mainly concerned with the Mississippi Delta flood control, and that will be the Yazoo River, mainly. Like I said that is my 2 cents and only my opinion...........I am definitely no expert, lol.

I have to laugh when I think of COE lakes and flood control. We were in a duck lease in Crowder a few years ago. I went down one night during the week and planned to hunt the next morning. When I was about a mile away from the gate I encountered water on the road. I had to drive in 1 to 2.5 foot of water the rest of the way to the cabin. Every field and road for miles around was under a few feet of water. I parked in the water, had to use my waders to get from the truck to the cabin. Once I was up on the porch I looked around and laughed...the Sardis dam was probably 10 or 15 miles away...but all I saw was flooding. I know nothing is foolproof...but dang...that was a lot of flooding for having a flood control dam just a few miles away.

those lakes you laught at have saved no tell how many acres from being flooded and no telling how many lives they have saved.

They were part of a massive flood control plan started after the 1927 floods. It included dams on the White River and it's tributaries and other rivers. The White River Refuge also figures into the plan as an area to displace some of the flood water.