High Water Hampers Navigation On Tenn-Tom, Warrior-Tom

Due to high water following days of rain in the Southeast, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a series of lock restrictions on both the Tennessee-Tombigbee and Warrior-Tombigbee waterways February 13.

As of February 13, the Corps had closed both John C. Stennis and Tom Bevill locks to navigation due to high water inundating lock machinery areas. Those locks are located at Mile 334.7 and Mile 306.8, respectively, on the Tenn-Tom. Also on the Tenn-Tom, the Corps was restricting Jamie Whitten and Howell Heflin locks to daylight only operations. Jamie Whitten Lock is located at Mile 411.9, while Howell Heflin Lock is at Mile 266.1.

Also on February 13, the Corps announced daylight-only operations at Coffeeville Lock, located at Mile 116.6 on the Tombigbee River. One day prior, on February 12, the Corps announced Demopolis Lock had closed to navigation due to inundation of lock machinery areas.

According to the National Weather Service, the Tombigbee River at Demopolis Lock measured just below 81 feet February 13, with water levels expected to reach 84.6 feet by February 16. The crest at Tom Bevill Lock was forecast for around February 14, with a fast fall to follow. As of late February 13, the waterway at John C. Stennis Lock was already dropping from a high point of 166 feet.