Themis Street floodgate to stay open

Leaders of the Main Street Levee District decided Friday that the Themis Street floodgate will remain open following a new Mississippi River crest prediction that lowered the expected water level by 1.5 feet.

The district had planned to close the gate Saturday afternoon, as the river approached 35 feet, said Andy Juden, president of the district board of directors. But with the river now expected to crest Tuesday at 36 feet, the water won't reach the gate, he said.

"I am leaving it open as long as I can so people can see the river," he said.

By 8 p.m. Friday, the river level read 33.9 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge, 1.9 feet above flood stage. The river must rise to about 36.5 feet for the water to reach the Themis Street gate, Juden said.

Previous predictions had set the crest at 37.5 feet on Wednesday.

"Based on the river forecast, we will not close the gate," Juden said.

The Mississippi River is rising as it absorbs floodwaters from the Missouri River, caused by intense rains last weekend and responsible for toppling numerous levees in Northweast Missouri.