RIVER CRESTS AT HIGHEST LEVEL IN NEARLY SEVEN YEARS

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was expected to crest today at 40.3 feet, 8.3 feet above flood stage and its highest level in almost seven years.

On Monday, the river here reached 40 feet, the first time it has done so since Oct. 15, 1986, when it was at 40.8 feet.

The river at Cape Girardeau is forecast to drop to 40.2 feet Wednesday and to 39.6 feet on Thursday.

Upriver at St. Louis, the Mississippi was at 36.3 feet Monday, with a forecast to drop to 35.6 feet today and 32.5 feet Thursday.

However, the National Weather Service cautioned that these stages may be revised higher if there is additional rain over the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River watersheds after Monday.

In addition to closing several streets in the unprotected areas of the north and south side of the city, the high water has also disrupted some other activities in the Cape Girardeau area.

Rail service through Cape Girardeau on the Burlington Northern Railroad was cut on Friday after the flood gate over the tracks next to Sloan's Creek was closed. Backwater from the Diversion Channel, south of Cape Girardeau, has reached the railroad's track bed. However,

the railroad is still able to serve the Nash Road industrial area.

Cape Girardeau's wastewater treatment plant, located next to the river in south Cape Girardeau, went offline at 11 a.m. Friday. Plant Superintendent Steve Cook said the plant operations were suspended when it started receiving more inflow than it could handle through the trunk sewers.

"When the river gets this high, a lot of river water infiltrates into the sanitary sewer system near the plant. That causes more water to come into the plant than it can handle," Cook explained.

"As of Friday morning, all sewage is now pumped directly into the river. This is a standard operating procedure when the river reaches this level. I will be notifying the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the federal EPA of the plant shutdown because of high water."

Cook also noted that when the river reaches 40 feet, city trucks can no longer transport the plant's sludge containers over the flooded streets near the plant.

While the plant is closed, employees will perform some maintenance work, such as painting floors in high traffic areas, Cook said. "The last time we were able to do this kind of work was in 1986,"20Cook said.

The entire plant is surrounded by a levee that protects the high-technology equipment from damage by the river water.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Offices in St. Louis and Paducah, Ky., said Monday that most barge traffic on the river between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. has been halted due to the high water.

"The majority of the barge lines have ordered their towboats to tie up and wait out the flood," said Lt. Commander Craig Bone in Paducah. "We have also issued advisories to mariners on our Coast Guard radio broadcasts, asking that they keep their speed to a safe level, not so fast that it will cause damage to sandbagged levees."

Coast Guard officials in St. Louis said the Mississippi River remains above flood stage as far north as Dubuque, Iowa. The Corps of Engineers closed Lock and Dam 16, near Muscatine, Iowa, because of high water.

The flooding is having only a minimal impact on residents who live in flood-prone areas along the river, in and near Cape Girardeau. Authorities note most of them have been through many previous floods and know when it is time to leave their homes. Many have made prior arrangements for temporary living quarters until the water goes down.

Meanwhile, the Cape Girardeau police remind motorists not to drive on flooded streets in the residential area between North Main and Water streets. Sgt. Carl Kinnison says the waves created by vehicles driving through the streets spill into nearby houses, causing additional water damage.