Barge sinks at Lock and Dam in Columbus, limits water flow through dam
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) -- One of two barges pinned against the Stennis Lock and Dam in Columbus has sunk.
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers officials tell WTVA News the barge went down around 6 o'clock this morning.
The barge is causing some problems with water flow through the dam.
Officials say they are limited by how much water they can now move through the dam.
The concern now is the rising water in the Columbus Lake, the headwaters for the Stennis Lock and Dam.
The lake normal level is 163 feet, but currently sits over 164.5 feet and is causing some flooding issues for areas around the lake.
That could increase because of continued rain fall in the area.
Rick Saucier says they are not sure when the barge can be moved because the current is too swift and too strong for them to boat into the area and access the situation.
He also says they have to wait out the current weather system.
He says the navigational channel is not affected but some boat captains have decided to tie up and wait for now.
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