St. Louis to Caruthersville: Introduction

Rivergator: St. Louis St. Louis Gage (SLG) Extreme Low Water: -6 to 4 Low Water: 4-12 Med Water: 12-24 High Water: 24-30 Flood Stage: 30 Extreme High Water: 30 to 50 1993 Flood: 49.58 The Mississippi River never gets too low for paddlers. Unlike western rivers, you can always find enough water for your adventure on the Mississippi. The worst case scenario on the Mississippi is when the ramps “bottom out” i.e.: they don’t reach the river at all. This is no big deal for paddlers. Giant pools of mud might sit in places that used to be easy access. You might have to portage your canoe or kayak across mud, gravel or sand. But for the seasoned paddler this is no problem. While you can paddle in any low water conditions, high water presents a much more dangerous challenge. As the rivers rise, they go faster. Fast water creates dangerous situations around buoys, docks, wharves, anchor points, chevrons, wing dams, dikes, and fleeted barges. Paddlers should avoid the river in any water levels above 30 SLG. Water Levels and paddling through St. Louis (and downstream to Chester, Illinois) Extreme Low Water: -6 to 4 At extreme low water below 4SLG you will find giant sandbars, gravel bars and mud bars. The river will be sluggish. You won’t have difficulty finding dry ground to camp on, but it will be tricky finding protection from the wind because of the long distance to the forest. Dike walls can make good substitutes for wind breaks in certain situations. Most landings will be muddy messes. The Chain of Rocks will require a portage. The channel will be narrow and constricted in places with towboats and fleeted barges. You will not have much room to maneuver around towboats in some of the tight places, and might need to go to shore to await their passage. Low Water: 4-12 At 4 foot SLG the flow averages two to three miles per hour, and all back channels are inaccessible. At twelve feet the flow is a steady 3mph and most back channels are becoming accessible but with slow flow that might require some maneuvering through sandbars and rock walls of the dikes, chevrons and wing dams. You might need to drag your vessel over some rock barriers, and other sand or gravel shoalings. Short portages might be necessary. The Chain is a deadly ten to fifteen foot drop over rock, concrete wreckage and steel reinforcement. Expert paddlers might find a route far bank right, but everyone else should stop and make the portage. The shortest portage is bank left, but be very careful not to overshoot the pull-out. Medium Water: 12-24 At 12 SLG all back channels are open but flowing slow. The Chain is a dangerous waterfall that should be portaged. At 16 feet SLG or above advanced paddlers can negotiate the Chain of Rocks, staying in the board central tongue of flow found to the right of the old intake structures (which look like 2 isolated castles standing in the middle of the river). At 24 feet SLG anyone can run the Chain with only slight disturbance. All back channels are open and flowing strong. River speed in the main channel averages 5mph. Most sandbars are covered. High Water: 24-30 At 25 feet SLG the river is bank full, there is no sand on the top end of Mosenthein Island, or any of the islands downstream except Moro, Marquette, Rockwood, and Brown’s Bar, but the forests on the highest parts of most islands are still dry. All of the back channels will be open and flowing strong which makes for great exploration and getting away from towboats and industry. You can find small shelves of sands, and small dunes up to 30 foot SLG in isolated places, but otherwise you will have to camp and make landings wooded places. Swiftwater conditions exist around all of the docks, wharves and bridge piers in the St. Louis Harbor, watch for strong whirlpools, eddies, and turbulent waters, especially after the passage of tows or work boats. Flood Stage: 30 Above flood stage 30 feet SLG paddlers are advised to avoid the river if at all possible. The Rivergator will not make any recommendations nor detail any of the landings, islands, and features at or above flood stage. Extreme High Water: 30 to 50 1993 Flood: 49.58 St. Louis Gage (SLG) http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lsx&gage=EADM7 Water levels according to the St. Louis Gage Low Water = 4 to 12 SLG Medium Water = 13 to 24 SLG High Water = 25 to 30 SLG Flood Stage = 30 SLG and above (SLG = St. Louis Gauge) Flood Stage Warning: above 30 SLG paddlers are advised to stay off the river. Limited access. Most landings and approach roads will be underwater. Most islands will be gone. No easy camping. All sandbars will be covered. Fast waters with many hazards. All islands and landings will be surrounded by flooded forests full of snags, strainers, sawyers and all other dangerous conditions associated with floodwater moving through trees. Docks, wharves, dikes and any other man-made objects will create strong whirlpools, violent boils, and fast eddies. Towboats will create large waves. The Rivergator will not describe the river and its islands at any levels above flood stage.

High Water Note: At 38 SLG the U.S. Coast Guard will consider closing the St. Louis harbor to navigation. Major Flood Stage: 40 Moderate Flood Stage: 35 Flood Stage: 30 Action Stage: 28 Water Levels and Dikes In the St. Louis area you can use the following scale to gauge water flowing over dikes, although some dikes vary in height. Also some have been “notched” in recent years as result there will be a middle notch that you can paddle through at much lower levels of water, some places down to 0 St. Louis Gauge. Using the St. Louis Gauge: 10-12 SLG water flowing through notches only 13 SLG - rocks still exposed on all dikes 14-15 SLG dikes starting to go under, some flow through breaks & low spots 16 SLG dikes completely under, but little flow 18-20 SLG good flow and lots of boils & turbulence 22 SLG strong flow, some turbulence, no dikes exposed anywhere 25 SLG river bank full >30 SLG Flood Stage Warning: above 30 SLG paddlers are advised to stay off the river. Limited access. Most landings and approach roads will be underwater. Most islands will be gone. No easy camping. All sandbars will be covered. Fast waters with many hazards. All islands and landings will be surrounded by flooded forests full of snags, strainers, sawyers and all other dangerous conditions associated with floodwater moving through trees. Docks, wharves, dikes and any other man-made objects will create strong whirlpools, violent boils, and fast eddies. Towboats will create large waves. The Rivergator will not describe the river and its islands at any levels above flood stage. Flood Stage effects in St. Louis Just to give some perspective on how various water levels effect different places along the river in the greater St. Louis area, here are some descriptions of levees and floodgates from the NWS. At 18.5 Riverfront parking east of Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard begins flooding (which means reduced parking places below the arch. Paddlers can make landing until flood stage. 30 Floodwall at Lacledes Landing is closed. At 31.7 Leonor K. Sullivan Bouelvard begins flooding at this level in front of the Arch. At 31.9 The entrance to the parking garage just north of Eads bridge begins flooding. At 32 the flood panels at Carr Street and Poplar Street are installed. 33 the Floodgates at the Rutger Street railroad and at Miller Street are closed. At 34 the Floodgates at Convent Street railroad and Rutger Street are closed. At 35 Moderate flooding begins. The floodgates at Gratiot Road railroad and Choteau Street are closed. When the river hits 37 SLG three more floodgates are closed at this level: the Missouri Illinois Sand Company gate in south St. Louis, the City of St. Louis railroad gate, and a double gate at East Grand in north St. Louis. At 37.5 Highway 61/67 south of Pevely begin flooding at the Joachim Creek bridge. At 38 The U.S. Coast Guard will consider closing the St. Louis harbor to navigation above this level. Four more floodgates are closed at Prairie Avenue, Madison Avenue, Mullanphy Street, and the railroad bed near Lesparance Street. At 38.5 Nellie Avenue, south of Lemay Ferry Road along River des Peres, begins flooding. At 39 the city of Kimmswick, MO begins flooding. Two more St. Louis floodgates are closed at North Market Street (north St. Louis) and at Barton Street on the south side. 39.1 Windsor Harbor Road bridge southeast of Kimmswick begins flooding, isolating residents south of the bridge. Major Flood Stage begins at 40 SLG. At this level the Choteau Island Levee, protecting 2400 acres, is overtopped. Lemay Park just south of Lemay Ferry Road will begin flooding. The St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District will shut down the Watkins Creek pump station in the 11000 block of Riverview Drive in Spanish Lake. At 41 St. Louis City installs a double floodgate at Branch Street in north St. Louis. At 42 Riverview Blvd becomes flooded. A panel floodgate is installed at Riverview Blvd. At 43 At this level, 5 floodgates are installed: 3 floodgates at the Corps of Engineers Service Base, another at Zepp Street, and another at the railroad near Guthrie Street. At 44.1 the Chouteau Island Pump Station begins to flood. Power to the Chouteau Island Pump Station disconnected. The Harrisonville and Columbia Levees are overtopped. At 47 The panel floodgate is installed at the CB&Q railroad. Businesses along North Commercial Street in Laclede's Landing in downtown St. Louis begin flooding. At 47.7 The Columbia Bottom levee is breached which protects 14,000 acres. At 48 The Harrisonville and Prairie DuPont levees which protect 37,360 acres is breached. At 49 Hartford Public Water supply is threatened. The last of the St. Louis City floodgates is installed at the Missouri-Pacific railroad (panel gate). At 54 The Metro East St Louis and Fish Lake levees which protect 71,000 acres are overtopped. Also at this height the St. Louis flood wall is overtopped. The Great Flood of 1993 The Mississippi River crested in St Louis at 49.58 feet during the The Great Flood of 1993 (August 1st). All of the towns downstream have their own highwater marks and many stories and dramas from the 1993 Flood. Mark River remembers returning to St. Louis that watershed year: “In between football tryouts in 1993, I had the opportunity to fly back to St.Louis and observe the infamous flood. Growing up between the confluence of two great rivers and downtown St. Louis, I was anxious to see what the Mississippi River looked like when it reclaimed its natural floodplain. I wasn't disappointed: the river reached to the bluffs. Riverview Drive was closed and only locals in that area were aloud to access the neighborhood by john boats and canoes. Looking from the bluff on which Missouri Portland Cement rests, you could see the vast natural floodplain. Mosenthein Island was underwater with just the tops of the largest trees exposed with its back channel not distinguishable. The Chain of Rocks low water dam was unrecognizable. The confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers was a wild ocean-like area with displaced farms and equipment scattered throughout. The field in which I grew up practicing football was underwater. The golf course which graced the land below the 270 bridge was wiped out. Deer and other mammals were pushed into the neighborhoods, flooding the streets at night. Accidents skyrocketed along the roadways. Local fisherman took advantage of the incredible flood. The fish went on a spawning frenzy, moving up the streams and creeks making themselves accessible to anglers. People were catching lunkers out of their backyard creeks. Hand fisherman were crawling through the shallow streams pulling catfish out of logs and other obstructions. Waterfowl filled the shallows feasting on newborn fry. “As the water receded, new gravel beds were exposed and sandbars reappeared in unusual areas. Small depressions within the landscape were full of fish. Locals in gallowses and waders pulled huge buffalo and grass carps out of these depressions. Many farmers relocated after the flood. Selling their properties and looking for land in higher elevations. Years afterward when the floodplain dried out, the land close to the confluence was purchased and made into a state park. The surrounding lands were left alone to return to its natural state. The golf course was never restored. A lot was learned from this historical natural event and was a lesson in how important the floodplain is to our natural environment.” (Mark River)

Historic Flood Crests Historic Flood Crests from floods along the Lower Mississippi include: (1) 49.58 ft on 08/01/1993 (2) 43.23 ft on 04/28/1973 (3) 42.00 ft on 04/01/1785 (P) (4) 41.89 ft on 05/22/1995 (5) 41.32 ft on 06/27/1844 (6) 40.52 ft on 06/04/2013 (7) 40.30 ft on 07/02/1947 (8) 40.28 ft on 07/21/1951 (9) 39.27 ft on 12/07/1982 (10) 39.20 ft on 05/04/1983 Low Water Records (1) -6.20 ft on 01/16/1940 (2) -5.80 ft on 01/26/1963 (3) -5.60 ft on 01/01/1964 (4) -5.50 ft on 12/12/1937 (5) -5.32 ft on 12/26/1989 Dredging might become necessary SLG 5.0 to -7.0 When the river drops below 4 on the SLG these levels, paddler beware: commercial barges may need to reduce tonnage, and dredging may be necessary to maintain a 9 foot deep channel for navigation. You may encounter dredges straddling the river in places you would normally find open free-flowing channels. Tows might by pulled up to the bank above and below sensitive locations (such as shoals) and work boats might be making waves as they speed back and forth between dredge and dormitory boats. For up to date channel conditions from the USACE-St. Louis District visit: http://mvs-wc.mvs.usace.army.mil/realtime/nav_status/status.html . For more information go to USGS Water Data: Go to the USGS Water Data site for more information about river flow (discharge in CFS), suspended sediment concentration in milligrams per liter, and suspended sediment discharge in tons per day, go to: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory?agency_code=USGS&site_no=07010000 Using this gage you can compare some interesting periods of time in the river history, such as the recent high water - low water sequence in 2011-2012. At the end of April 2011 the river peaked near 35SLG, but by the end of Dec, 2012, it was below -4SLG, a difference of almost 40 feet! In the same time period the discharge went from around 600,000 CFS to below 60,000 CFS, a ten-fold change. The daily suspended sediment concentration went from near 2,000 milligrams per liter to around 25 milligrams per liter (which means from gravy thick muddy water to almost clear green tea-like water). The daily suspended sediment discharge dropped from 2.75 million tons of sediment per day down to around 5,000 tons of sediment per day. The river at St. Louis has a drainage area of 697,000 square miles, which means everything upstream including the Missouri, the Upper Mississippi and the Illinois. This is a huge landmass, bigger than most European countries. Located at Latitude 38°37'44.4", Longitude 90°10'47.2" the St. Louis gage is 379.58 feet above sea level. Middle Mississippi Start Place #1: The Upper Mississippi Introduction Maple Island Access Ramp, Melvin Price Lock & Dam, National Great Rivers Museum: Paddlers can start (or continue) their big river adventure by putting in at the last public ramp on the Upper Miss, the Maple Island Access Ramp. Fishermen flock to this area almost as thick as the white pelicans and bald eagles (in season) for the great fishing. Big fish get thrown up from the depths by the turbulence from the water flowing through the gates at the last Lock & Dam on the Upper Miss. Known affectionately by locals as “Mel Price,” this Dam is also the newest dam on the Upper Miss, with unique features like two lock chambers and a control tower that resembles one you might see at an airport. Guided tours available from the National Great Rivers Museum. Be sure to visit this museum (LBD Illinois shore). See below for description. For the Maple Island ramp and your short journey to the confluence, you can use the Melvin Price L&D gage. (Important Note: At the confluence switch to the St. Louis Gage. We’ll use the St. Louis gage for the Chain of Rocks, the St. Louis Harbor, and everything else downstream to Chester, and not make a switch until approaching the Chester gage). Melvin Price L&D River Gage: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lsx&gage=alni2&prob_type=stage Low Water = 0 to 6 MPG Medium Water = 7 to 15 MPG High Water = 15 to 20 MPG Flood Stage = 21 MPG and above (MPG = Melvin Price Gage) * Note: MPG 18 Near this height, Mel Price Lock and Dam will go to "open river" conditions, lifting all gates out of the river. Water flowing around Maple Island according to Melvin Price L&D River Gage: You can plan your route below the lock and dam and avoid all traffic by going behind Maple Island using the below table. In general, if the river is above 10MPG you can paddle behind all but the topmost island. If the river is above 12 MPG you will find all passages open, and you should be able to safely paddle anywhere around or behind islands. At flood stage 21 all but the tops end of all the islands will be underwater, and adventurous paddlers will find the best bird watching in the area by leaving the water channels and paddling directly into flooded forests. Not only a sublime entrance into the peaceful world of nature, but you will be able to witness life cycles and habits of birds no land birder would ever have the opportunity to view. (Note: Maple Island Ramp bottoms out in a bowl of mud below 8MPG.) 0 MPG No flow anywhere behind islands 6 MPG access begins to open up on 2nd (main) island, but you might scrape your vessel on rocks. Water slowly flowing through top notch only. 10 MPG - Gentle flow behind 2nd, 3rd & 4th Islands and below; safe paddling in most places, rocks still exposed on edges of all dikes 11 MPG topmost channel opens, wing dams and dikes starting to go completely under 12 MPG dikes completely under, slow flow top end, good flow elsewhere 13-17 MPG strong flow throughout, some minor boils & turbulence 18 MPG river bank full, watch for swirling eddies along entrances in between the islands >21 MPG Flood Stage