With the forecasted rainfall, the team at Terral RiverService is preparing for high water along the Red River.

According to the Red River Valley Association, the current forecast shows 9” to 10” right over Texarkana, with most rain falling just east of Lake Texoma. This indicates that rain will fall primarily in the uncontrolled areas, causing a very fast rise and fall of the River.

As of yesterday, March 8, The Fulton gage is at 5’ and predicts a 9’ rise by Sunday, March 13. By Friday, there should be a more accurate idea of what the rise around Shreveport will be.

The Dredge Iowa is currently dredging at Lock 4, Mile 168.8 on the Red River and is expected to be completed by Friday, March 11. The Dredge Butcher is headed to Lock 5, Mile 199.

The Red River Valley Association suggests that tows navigating over the next few weeks should prepare for high flows, upwards to 100,000 CFS, and they should consider using higher HorsePower behind their tows.

We will continue to stay up-to-date on the conditions. If you’d like to see a full forecast for the river stages, you can visit the National Weather Service River Forecast Center website.