BOATING HAS BECOME NECESSITY FOR S. ILLINOIS FAMILIES

GALE, Ill. -- Owning a boat is a necessity for families who live along Clear Creek in Southern Illinois.

The overflowing tributary, which branches off the Mississippi River near Gale, often leaves a dozen families who live along the Gale-McClure gravel road stranded.

"You better have a boat," says Lawrence Benefield. "It doesn't have to be fancy, but, if you want to get to town, a boat is the only means of transportation at certain times of the year."

The Benefields Lawrence and Jennis are no strangers to rising waters.

"Since that major flood of 1973, we've been boating almost every year," said Benefield, who lives in what some of the area's residents call "North Gale."

The Mississippi River stage at Cape Girardeau Monday was about 37.4 feet, with a forecast of rising waters until the weekend, when it is expected to crest at 43 feet Friday, 13 feet above flood level there.

The Benefields' boat met a Southeast Missourian reporter and photographer at a specified site along the Clear Creek levee Monday. Upon leaving the levee, Benefield guided the small, metal fishing boat into what appeared to be a tunnel, en route to the North Gale village.

"This tunnel has been cut from among the heavy thicket of trees. People who live in the immediate area use it," said Benefield. "There are a couple other places along the levee where boaters can dock."

As the boat, powered by a one-and-a-half-horsepower motor, cleared the tunnel, it moved into the deeper channel of Clear Creek. On the far west bank, about a dozen houses were sighted.

"Two of the houses are vacant," said Benefield. "The families got tired of fighting the flood waters every year."

"It is a little inconvenient," said Benefield, "especially when you bring groceries home and have to trek up the hill to the house."

As the Benefield boat docked near the Benefield home, two other small boats were observed at a special tie-up spot.

The Benefields are just one of a number of families in the same immediate area.

"We drove our car and pickup truck out Saturday," said Jennis Benefield. "We park them along the Clear Creek levee road and boat about a quarter-mile to the house."

"We've lived here more than 35 years, and several of those years have been high-water years," she said. "So far, though, we have never had to move out."

The Benefields, whose house is on a knoll about two miles from Gale, had some anxious moments in 1973.

"We had water lapping at the house then," said Jennis Benefield. "The Mississippi River got up to about 46 feet."

"We had some pretty shaky times in 1973," said Magdalene Snell, who lives near the Benefields. "We've never had to move out, but the water was in our back yard then."

Magdalene and her husband, Jim Snell, have lived in the area for over 30 years.

"We're used to boating in and out now," said Jennis Benefield. "We had to move our vehicles out last weekend again. The south route, toward Gale, has been closed a while, but we had been driving into McClure until last Saturday."

"Boating in and out is not so bad," said Magdalene Snell. "It's an inconvenience, but when you live here it becomes a way of life."

Meanwhile, motorists traveling Route 3 between Gale and the Route 146 intersection may have to be re-routed as the swollen Mississippi River continues to rise.

Water is lapping at the road along Route 3 between the Route 146-intersection to the Gale intersection.