The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announces that maintenance work will begin at the Engineer Point boat ramp at Sardis Lake Monday, Nov. 30.

Contractors will repair the shoreline and parking lot at the lower boat ramp. Maintenance is not expected to interrupt visitor access, but visitors should be cautious and watch for equipment and workers in the area. The work is expected to last several months.

The public will be notified of any forthcoming changes to access to the area. For more information or questions about recreation closures, please contact the Sardis Lake Field Office at 662-563-4531.

Engineer Point is one of the busiest boat ramps in north Mississippi and provides year-round access to Sardis Lake. The area has been submerged and damaged several times during high water periods in the last several years.

Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada lakes, the four Mississippi flood control reservoirs in the Vicksburg District’s area of responsibility, were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936, which provided a plan designed to address flooding that originated in the Yazoo Basin. The four reservoirs are used to hold runoff, or excess rainwater, as a flood-prevention measure. With approximately 3.2 million visitors each year, the north Mississippi lakes also contribute approximately $82 million into the local economy.

The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.