VIDALIA — Sandbags, plastic sheeting and river debris still linger on the Vidalia Riverfront as reminders from the record-high water. But the river’s up-and-down fluctuations aren’t over yet.

Strong rains to the north and in the midwest will be sending more water down the river to the Miss-Lou

“In Iowa, they have had probably 10-15 inches or rain the last few weeks, and the Iowa and Cedar River are at a record crest,” National Weather Service Hydrologist Marty Pope said. “What is happening is the upper Mississippi River channel cannot handle that much flow, but the lower channel can.”

As long as there are not heavy rains over the Ohio River valley, the Mississippi River should not rise back above flood stage, Pope said.

The river fell below flood level at the beginning of June. The highest the water reached was approximately 57 feet in late April.

A weather front is settling to the south and moving across the Ohio valley, but the weather service expects a pattern shift to take place next week that will create a high pressure front that will move the storms from west to east fairly quickly, Pope said.

“It shouldn’t have major impacts, but it should have some impacts,” Pope said.

The river is expected to stand at 43.6 feet this morning, and is forecast to rise to 46.5 feet by next Tuesday.

While the river is expected to rise almost to its flood stage, Pope said he does not expect it to cross back beyond that point.

The historic normal stage for the river at this time of years is approximately 32 feet above gauge zero.