HIGH WATER: MISSISSIPPI RIVER AGAIN RISES, OFFERS THIRD FLOOD CREST HERE

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau is on the rise again.

The National Weather Service said Wednesday the river should crest Monday at 37.5 feet, 5.5 feet above flood stage.

That would be the third flood crest here in 35 days. On March 11, the river crested at 35 feet, and on April 10 it crested at 37.5 feet.

On Wednesday the river here was stationary at 35.5 feet. It was forecast to rise to 35.6 feet today, 36 feet on Friday, and 36.7 feet on Saturday.

The Ohio River at Cairo, Ill., was at 46.5 feet on Wednesday, 6 feet above flood stage. It is forecast to drop to 45.8 feet today, 45.1 feet on Friday, and 44.5 feet on Saturday.

Jack Burns, hydrologist with the weather service at St. Charles, said the crest at Cape Girardeau could be revised upward if significant precipitation occurs north of Cape Girardeau before Monday.

A flash flood watch remained in effect on Wednesday for most of central and eastern Missouri as a slow-moving storm over northern Missouri generated showers and thunderstorms.

"The ground throughout most of the state and the rest of the upper Midwest is completely saturated with moisture," Burns said. "Any rainfall that occurs now is running off into the streams that flow into the tributaries of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers."

The 30-day river outlook issued Wednesday by the weather service calls for the Mississippi at Cape Girardeau to drop to 34.5 by April 21, 27.1 feet on April 28, 23 feet by May 5, and 19 feet on May 12. Burns said the outlook assumed no significant precipitation would occur north of Cape Girardeau after Wednesday.

The Mississippi has been at or above the 32-foot flood stage daily since April 3.

Flooding along the river has had minimal impact in Cape Girardeau, but high water has resulted in lowland flooding in unprotected areas along both sides of the river and along the north side of the Diversion Channel from Allenville to the Mississippi south of Cape Girardeau. Spring plowing and planting of corn and soybeans has been delayed in those areas.

Some farmers inside the East Cape Girardeau-Clear Creek Levee District are also feeling the impact of high water. Gravity drains that would normally allow surface water to drain southward through the district to two large drains under the levee near Gale, Ill., will remain closed until the river falls below 28 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge.

As a result, water is backing up in fields south of Route 146 between East Cape Girardeau and Clear Creek and along Route 3 south to the levee near Gale. Farmers said there is plenty of time plant soybeans if the ground dries before mid-June.

The forecast for the weekend calls for a rain-free period with highs in the low 60s.