Heavy ice floes on the Mississippi River has prompted the Coast Guard to restrict the size of barge tows on the river between Cairo, Ill. and St. Louis.

In addition, the Coast Guard is making arrangements for a "helper" boat to be stationed below the Thebes, Ill., railroad bridge to assist towboats and their as they pass several sunken barges near the navigation channel south of the bridge.

Lt. J.G. Paul Gilbert, public affairs officer with the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in Paducah, Ky., said the barge tow restriction was issued Tuesday after a northbound towboat reported encountering heavy ice floes at Mile 17 on the Upper Mississippi below Commerce.

Said Gilbert: "The pilot reported the floating ice shoved the head of his tow into the riverbank. He was able to back out and get under way again with no damage to the tow.

Mariners were advised that "Due to icing conditions, all northbound barge tows are restricted to 15 barges, loads or empties, or a combination of both. Southbound tows may have no more than 16 barges between St. Louis and Cairo."

Gilbert said the Coast Guard is working with the owner of the sunken barges to station the helper boat near Thebes.

The bridge pier was struck by two barge tows on March 6 and 7, and another barge tow struck the pier in December 1992.

The March 6 collision sank one barge about a mile below the railroad bridge, on the right descending buoy line. On March 7, another barge tow struck the bridge, which resulted in the sinking of another barge about eighth-tenths of a mile below the bridge.

On Dec. 19, 1992, the bridge pier was struck by a 24-barge tow. In that incident one barge was sunk just south of the bridge.

The incidents occurred during high water and swift currents that are always present near the bridge.

Gilbert said the river is now 80-90 percent ice covered from Cape Girardeau to Cairo. "It's all broken ice, and there is no indication of any gorging in any of the bends between Cape Girardeau and Cairo," he said.

Petty Officer Franze Karnuth of the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in St. Louis said the ice floes have pulled channel buoys off station, making it difficult for towboat pilots to locate and stay in the channel.

Karnuth said the Towboat Kevin Toland and its eight-barge tow went aground Wednesday at Mile 56.9 five miles northeast of Cape Girardeau, but was able to refloat its tow without assistance.

Steve Dierker, chief of the channel maintenance section of the Corps of Engineers St. Louis District Office, said there is still plenty of water in the channel if pilots can find the channel.

Said Dierker: "At this time, we have plenty of water out there in the bends and crossings. The big problem is the ice has taken out all of the buoys. That means the channel isn't marked. Inexperienced pilots, or pilots who work all the time on the Lower Mississippi River and are not familiar with the Upper Mississippi River from Cairo to St. Louis, could have some problems if they get out of the channel."

Dierker said the Corps' Dredge Potter, which had been working between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis the past two months, had to come in to its port at St. Louis over the weekend because of heavy ice on the river. He said warmer weather forecast next week in the St. Louis-Cape Girardeau area should ease the ice-floe problem somewhat.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi River here continues to fall to normal wintertime levels. Thursday's river stage was 13.6 feet. It was forecast to fluctuate between 13.5 and 13.3 feet today through Sunday

At St. Louis the river was at 5 feet on Wednesday and forecast to remain stationary through the weekend.

The 30-day outlook -- based on no significant precipitation after Jan. 19 -- calls for the river here to be at 12.5 feet on Jan. 26, 12.1 feet on Feb. 2, 11.5 feet on Feb. 9, and 11.1 feet by Feb. 16.

The Mississippi at St. Louis is forecast to drop to 4.5 feet next week, 4.2 feet on Feb. 9, and 3.9 feet by Feb. 16.