HONKERS BOAT DOCK NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC

Honkers Boat Dock, long a fixture on the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, has a new name and a new owner -- the state of Missouri -- that invites everyone to take advantage of free and easy access to the river.

The site is now called Red Star Access and is owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The DOC bought the 2-acre river access from AmerenUE in January for $101,450 and opened it without fanfare two months ago. For many years, the concrete boat ramp at the east end of Second Street was leased to the Honkers Boat Club.

Area boaters welcomed the news of more Mississippi River access, said Wes Bartels, owner of B&B Marine Co. in Jackson, Mo.

"That's the only place to use without going through the Diversion Channel and motoring down to the river," he said. "Then you've got Trail of Tears. This will be nice."

The Diversion Channel is on Cape Girardeau's south side. The DOC leases access from the Little River Drainage District, and boaters are required to reduce their speed to avoid creating a wake. That prevents erosion to the banks but means a one-hour trip to reach the Mississippi River.

Trail of Tears State Park is 10 miles north of Cape Girardeau. Boats can't be launched there during low water because the ramp doesn't extend all the way to the river at those times.

Ken West, protection division regional supervisor for the DOC in Cape Girardeau, said the department bought Honkers after fielding boaters' requests for free, dependable access.

The Red Star Access will provide ready entry to the river under most conditions. "The river has to get extremely high to put it out of service," West said.

The dock used by the boat club has been removed.

"Our engineers had concerns about the safety," said West. He said the agency is designing a floating courtesy dock for the spot.

The DOC also is going to modify the boat ramp to prevent mud from building up after floods as it currently does.

The agency expects Red Star Access to be heavily used.