Sediment from last year’s flood impacting dredging on low river

MISSISSIPPI RIVER — The Army Corps of Engineers says the historic flood of 2011 dumped more sediment than usual in the lower Mississippi River and rivers in Arkansas and Louisiana. And this year’s extreme low water and low flow are leaving it there.

The corps’ Vicksburg office says that’s also making normal dredging very difficult, but dredges from three companies are at work on the Mississippi, Ouachita-Black and Red River systems.

It says the Butcher, operated by the Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Co., has dredged at Rosedale, Miss., was expected Monday at Yellow Bend, Ark., and will go from there to Lake Providence harbor.

The corps says Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co.’s America is working on the Ouachita/Black river system and Inland Dredging’s dredge Integrity is on the Red river system.