As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the Mississippi River at Vicksburg is below flood stage. This marks the first time since Feb. 17 that the river has been below 43 feet.

During the 6 p.m. reading by the National Weather Service, the Vicksburg gauge recorded the level of the river at 42.93 feet. Flood stage is 43 feet.

In the 162 days since the river has been above flood stage, the river has crested at a high of 51.47 feet on March 10 and helped facilitate a backwater flood of historic proportions. During the flood, the river registered a mark above 50 feet 31 days.

The mark of 51.47 ranks eighth on the list of all time highs recorded at Vicksburg.

Check in Monday for continued coverage of the river falling back within its banks and what remains of this historic year of floods.