The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announces that Arkabutla Lake will hold its annual Physically Challenged Deer Hunt this December.

There will be two hunts, each lasting three days, on December 3 to 5 and December 10 to 12. Applications are available at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office. The deadline for receiving applications is November 5 at 3 p.m. Applicants will be notified on the second week of November if they have been selected for either hunt.

For any questions about the hunt or to get an application, contact natural resources specialist Rob Hoff at 662-301-4565 or Robert.n.hoff@usace.army.mil.

This is the 31st year for the annual draw hunt. Applications have traditionally been limited to persons that are quadriplegic, paraplegic, or ambulatory with the use of leg braces or crutches. However, this year permanently disabled veterans will also be allowed to apply.

For more information about Arkabutla Lake, contact the Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 662-562-6261 or 662-292-1992.

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 nine 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.