VIDALIA, La. – The Mississippi River was at 40.4 feet and rising Friday – a full 16 feet above normal for this time of year, due to heavy rains up north.

But the river is forecast to crest at 46.5 feet on Dec. 30 and will not cause any major flooding, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Friday.

&uot;In areas outside the levee system – low-lying areas near Deer Park and Minorca, mostly – access may be affected since roads leading to camps in those areas may be under water,&uot; said Assistant Area Engineer Tom Matthews.

The Corps of Engineers area office in Vidalia is getting calls every day from camp owners wanting to know whether they need to get their possessions out of their camps.

But this isn’t the first time this year that rising waters have threatened low-lying areas in Concordia Parish. In early March, the river crested at 47.9 feet, causing waters to rise in areas such as Deer Park and Minorca.

Usually the Mississippi River at Natchez would stand at 25 or 26 feet this time of year, but heavy rainfall in the Ohio River basin has swollen the river up north. &uot;And all that has to come by us,&uot; Matthews said.

In Adams County, rising waters will force county officials to close Carthage Point Road below the International Paper mill starting Monday because water will cover the road.

The road will be closed until further notice.