Arkabutla Dam Repairs: Phase 2 Grouting Now Complete
Arkabutla Dam repairs in southwest DeSoto County have reached another milestone. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has finished grouting beneath the dam’s outlet works, completing the second phase of interim safety work that started after a sinkhole was found near the dam in 2023. The bigger question of how a permanent fix will be paid for is still open.
Col. Jeremiah Gipson, commander of the Corps’ Vicksburg District, confirmed that the grouting is done in an interview this week with the Daily Memphian, which reported the update Friday.
What Phase 2 of the Arkabutla Dam Repairs Did
The outlet works is the concrete conduit, or tunnel, that runs through the dam and controls how much water is released from Arkabutla Lake into the Coldwater River. Corps engineers became concerned that material beneath that structure was being lost, leaving voids under the foundation.
Phase 2 was aimed at that problem. Crews pumped grout into the conduit foundation to fill the empty spaces and stop more soil from washing away underneath. Here is how the work unfolded this year:
- June 2026: Grouting operations began.
- Mid-July: With nearly 4,000 gallons of grout already injected, the Vicksburg District paused the work so it could release water and bring the lake back down. Releases were stepped up in roughly 500 cubic-feet-per-second increments to a maximum of 4,000 cfs, keeping the Coldwater within its banks below the dam.
- Late summer: Work was set to resume once the lake returned to its 204-foot target elevation.
- This fall: The Corps now says grouting in the outlet works is complete.
When the work paused in July, Gipson said the dam “plays a critical role in our flood risk reduction mission” and that the district was committed to finishing the repairs while keeping the dam reliable.
How the Dam Got Here
In 2023, the Corps found a sinkhole near the toe of the dam, where the embankment meets the ground. After identifying potential breach conditions, the Corps lowered the lake and began emergency repairs. Phase 1 of the interim measures held the lake at a target pool of 204 feet and added relief wells and monitoring equipment so engineers could track conditions inside the embankment.
Those steps, along with the newly finished grouting, are meant to reduce risk while a permanent solution is designed. They are not the permanent fix.
Long-Term Plan and Funding Questions
The Corps has identified a recommended long-term plan: replace the deteriorated outlet works and build a new one just north of the existing structure. A draft Environmental Assessment for that plan was open for public comment through July 25, 2026, and the Dam Safety Modification Study behind it is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The timeline is long. The Corps has said design and construction of the permanent solution could take up to 10 years, and the Daily Memphian reported that work at the dam could continue for at least the next seven years. Money for that future work has not been settled.
What it means for DeSoto County residents
- Arkabutla Lake has been held lower than normal since the sinkhole was found, which affects boaters, anglers, and campers.
- During the July drawdown, camping and most recreation at the lake stayed open, but day-use areas directly below the dam were closed.
- The Corps posts updates on its Arkabutla project page and lake levels on the Vicksburg District reservoir page.
Arkabutla Dam sits on the Coldwater River along the DeSoto-Tate county line and is one of four large Corps flood-control reservoirs in north Mississippi, protecting farmland and communities downstream in the Mississippi Delta.
Related: USACE to launch Phase II critical repairs at Arkabutla Dam | DeSoto County Flood Watch set for Isaias remnants
Source: Daily Memphian; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District
