BATON ROUGE - For the first time in 31 days, the Mississippi River has dropped below flood stage.

Thursday morning, the river was just lower than flood stage of 35 feet in Baton Rouge. It crested at 43.5 feet between January 18th and 21st.

The rising river required the Army Corps. of Engineers to open the spillway flood gates between Baton Rouge and New Orleans but not the flood gates at Morganza upriver of Baton Rouge.

The Atchafalaya at Morgan City will remain more than a foot above flood stage through the weekend.

After 31 days and a crest near 43.5' the #MississippiRiver at #BatonRouge has dropped below flood stage. pic.twitter.com/wJTaTSVZHq

— Josh Eachus (@Josh_Eachus) February 4, 2016

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