NATCHEZ — Officials will have to wait until the Mississippi River falls to see what kind of environmental damage occurred after a barge carrying oil slurry struck the Mississippi River bridge Thursday afternoon.

The strike ruptured the hull of the barge, which was towed to an area near St. Catherine Creek.

U.S. Coast Guard crews finished removing the remaining oil from the barge Saturday night, removing more than 700,000 gallons to two Magnolia Marine Transport barges.

The Coast Guard estimates approximately 24,600 gallons of the oil is missing, and side-scanning sonar searches by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were unsuccessful in locating the missing oil.

Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford said because the oil could not be located officials will have to wait for the river to recede from flood stage to see if the oil impacted wildlife or vegetation.

“The responsible party that the barge belongs to, they have to go out every two weeks and check what kind of damage there is going to be,” Bradford said.

The barge was removed to Vicksburg for damage assessment and repairs Monday, and the Coast Guard said response crews will continue monitoring the incident site for any pollution.

Members of the public who see suspected pollution are encouraged to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.