MISSISSIPPI CLOSES AS BARGES STACK UP AT CAIRO

Parts of four rivers in the eastern river systems above Cairo, Ill. remained closed today due to flooding conditions.

The Mississippi River is closed in three areas between Cairo and St. Louis, resulting in more than 500 barges being moored along the Ohio River at Cairo.

The barges are awaiting the opening of the Mississippi River, which is closed to all traffic from Cairo to north of Cape Girardeau at the mile-55 marker.

Two more sections of the Mississippi are closed, according to a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman at St. Louis. A 20-mile stretch north of the Chester, Ill., Bridge to north of Ste. Genevieve, and the St. Louis harbor area from mile marker 167 to 184 remain closed.

The Missouri River is closed, from St. Louis to Kansas City.

Also closed are sections of the Meramec and Osage rivers. A "no wake" area is in effect along the Illinois River from mile marker 08 to 16.

"We have barges moored everywhere along the Ohio River,' said Donnie Tucker, a dispatcher with CBG Waterfront at Cairo. "We have them parked from Wickliffe, Ky., north to Mound City. "River traffic is moving along the Ohio River, and on the Mississippi River south of Cairo.

Although there is no official estimate of barges, which are moored at various points along the closed rivers, it could be in the thousands.

Hundreds of boats can be found in the St. Louis harbor area, said a spokesman of St. Louis Industries Inc., which manages a number of towboats on the upper Mississippi.

Most of the Mississippi River north of St. Louis is open, but the barges have no place to go once they reach St. Louis, where they're stranded.

"They can't go south," said the spokesman. "And, they can't go up the Missouri River."

A Cape Girardeau company, which owns barges that haul concrete, has two "stranded" boats.

"We have one boat stranded here," said Leo Steger, of Missouri Barge Lines. "We have another boat coming upriver on the Mississippi. It will have to tie up at Cairo."

No estimates have been made about when barge traffic will resume.

"It all depends on the weather," Steger said. "More storm and rain activity is expected across Missouri this week."

Another boat owned by a company with a branch office in Cape Girardeau is awaiting Mississippi and Missouri river openings. Boyd Gaming Corp.'s riverboat casino, which is en route from Louisiana to Kansas City, is moored at New Madrid.

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was expected to crest at 47 feet early today, dropping almost three feet, to 44 feet by Friday afternoon.

These predicted stages, however, could change. Rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast through Saturday.

The Missouri River dropped Tuesday and is expected to continue dropping today. Many sites along the Missouri could be under flood stage by Memorial Day unless the additional rains hit.