The Mississippi River will be dredged again north of Vicksburg as low stages persist up and down the river system.

The Dredge Butcher, operated by Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Company, was to move upriver to Yellow Bend, Ark., Monday, according to a release Friday from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vicksburg District. From there, it will return to the Lake Providence harbor on or about next Saturday, the release said.

About $6.84 million in emergency dredging on shallow-draft ports between Greenville and Vicksburg began in late June. The Port of Vicksburg, located off the river’s main stem, on the Yazoo Diversion Canal, is set to be dredged in late September.

The river was open again to traffic after being closed Thursday due to a barge grounding at Greenville.

The towboat Bootsie B ran aground Thursday pushing 13 empty barges and 15 barges loaded with fertilizer and salt.

The river was up nearly a foot to 2.2 feet at Vicksburg Friday night. The record low in the city is negative 7 feet, on Feb. 3, 1940. Forecasts show the river falling to three-tenths of a foot by Aug. 31, slightly higher than the previous four-week outlook.

Silt deposited during the river’s historic flood in May 2011 has made navigation a problem in the river channel and ports. No closures are imminent on the Lower Mississippi. On the Upper Mississippi, commercial traffic has been closed near LaCrosse, Wis. while the Corps dredges there.

Dredging continues on the Ouachita/Black and Red River systems in Arkansas and Louisiana. Corps officials didn’t rule out selective dredging as the river falls.

“If levels continue to fall, the District may be forced to focus on maintaining access to the larger ports in the area,” the release said. “The maintenance of these ports is vital to ensure the transportation and delivery of commodities throughout America and abroad.”