Cardinal's Opening Day

Play Ball !

Monday...31  March 2008

 Over 1.2 Million Visitors Strong !

Pic of the Day

Monday !

Click on pic to enlarge

Our River Picture Of The Day.........  Is a picture from the Winfield Dam RiverCam of the work going on to inspect / repair the damaged miter gate.

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The above was reprinted from the US Army Corps of Engineers website.

Information presented on CorpsWeb public web sites is considered public information and may be distributed or copied.

Yesteryear Picture of the Day

The River Picture on this Day In 2007 ---    was sent in by Jan DeSherlia of Grafton Harbor fame. .....it's Brian and Linda enjoying a beautiful March day in their dingy!

Spring In Water Regal Demo Days and Yacht Expo......

I would like to personally invite you and your family to our Spring In Water Regal Demo Days and Yacht Expo, April, 12 and 13th at Polestar Marina, 6171 Highway V, St. Charles , MO 63301 .

We are going to have Some Regal Yachts, Cruisers and Sport Boats on display for you to view and set up a personal demo on the FasTrac and Ocean Trac Hull Difference. Truly nothing rides as smooth or efficient as a Regal.

We will also be un-veiling a new Regal 4460 with Volvo IPS (Inboard Performance System) with a joystick as well. With Volvo IPS experience at least 20+% more fuel efficient over a standard V-Drive system. And with 7 years of Standard Volvo Engine Warranty from Dan ’s boats on all boats 20-52 ft, why buy anything else? We will have all kinds of Demo Days incentives to get you in a new worry free Regal this year.

For any further information, directions, and to let us know which boat you would like to see. Please Call our Boat Specialist:

Kevin (kevin@dansboats.com) or Capt. Brad (brad@dansboats.com) at 636-970-3267

Also Check out our Website: www.dansboats.com.

Have an Unbelievable Day!!!!

Thank You,
Capt. Brad Hefferon

Dan's Boats

Your Regal Select Dealer
Office: 636-970-3267
Fax: 636-970-0070
 

Lost & Found.......

Home made jet ski docking station made out of large PVC and decking - floated south of Two Branch Island on the Miss. river, last fall.

Reward.

Call 314-440-1665 or e-mail brad@mchsi.com with any information.

Thank you

Tony Bradley

The Amazing Aqua Scooter

NEW LIST PRICE $1195.00 .............OUR SELLING PRICE $949.00

ITCS Memo ......

Received the following e-mail from the River Industry Bulletin Board website:


From:        itcs@ribb.com
To:            riverbill@prodigy.net
Subject:    Lock #25 Update 3/30/08
Date:        Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:58:04 -0600

ITCS MEMO # 2645


All
Plan on having a conference call at 1000 Monday March 31st. I will
provide the numbers in the morning.

-----Original Message-----
From: Schimpf, Andrew C MVS [mailto:Andrew.C.Schimpf@usace.army.mil]
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:24 PM
To: Henleben, Ed
Cc: DellOrco, Lou MVS; Dooley, Alan J MVS; Allensworth, H K MVS;
Stringham, George E MVS; Dalrymple, Nicole M MVS
Subject: Lock 25 Closure Update - 30 March


Ed,

Update on progress at Lock 25.

The heavy rains last night and this morning slowed progress. At this
point we still plan to re-open the lock Monday evening. Today the crew
completed fabrication of the new secondary anchorage pin. The day shift
will work over to complete assembly of the secondary gate anchorage
which had to be sent to the Service Base last night to be turned. It will
be shipped back to the site tonight. The night shift will complete the
boring of the embedded anchorage c-channel, and the top and bottom
doubler plates. Tomorrow the team will install secondary anchorage into
gudgeon and set anchorage pin. Once the gate is hung it will have to be
adjusted to seal at quoin and miter, and the walkway re-installed. As I
said, at this point we are still planning to complete repair tomorrow
evening. The critical path to complete will be simultaneous completion of
the boring (weather may slow) and completion of secondary anchor
assembly.

Andy Schimpf, P.E.
Rivers Project Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
St. Louis District
301 Riverlands Way
West Alton, Mo. 63386-1704
(636) 899-2600 ext. 225 (office)
(636) 899-0044 (office direct)
(636) 899-2655 (fax)
(314) 630-6280 (mobile)
email: andrew.c.schimpf@usace.army.mil

 

Click here to read the ITCS Memo #2645

Check the ITCS website for most current memos

River Levels / Flood Warnings.........

Lewis Boat Marine Sales and Service.....

Lewis Engines will be open for business at their new location on Monday March 31st.  and the St. Charles store will be closed.

  The new company name is Lewis Boat Marine Sales and Service.  The new address is 4030 North Service Road, St. Peters, Mo 63376 (The old Pappas Toyota building) 

  Click here for map from Map Quest ..  

Fish Will Be Counted On The Mississippi River.........

      Yesterday's edition of the on-line STLtoday contained a news article about an Army Corps of Engineers project that will track the effects that the dams on the Mississippi River have on fish.
.  There are 37 locks and dams that cross the Upper Mississippi River and ever since the early 1900’s marine biologists have noted that they block several species of fish from migrating upstream to spawn. 

    The Melvin Price Locks and Dam will become part of a project to track the effects of these dams on the migratory fish and what can be done to restore their natural migration patterns. Over the next few weeks, researchers for the the U.S. Corps of Engineers will activate hydro-acoustic monitors that will record and measure the fish movement through the auxiliary lock at the Melvin Price Lock and Dam. The focus will be on 34 migratory species of fish including channel catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum and several varieties of sturgeon, carp and buffalo.

    The news article noted that the the dams were not an obstacle to the migrating fish during "open river" conditions.  "Open river" occurs during periods of high water when the gates on the dams are out of the water and the river is flowing freely through the dam.  This "open river" condition is  does not always correspond with fish migrations

    To read more about this project, click here.
 

Apartments For Rent......  One and two bedroom apartments at Kinder's No Wake Inn.     Call: 314-620-1971 .. or .. 618- 883- 2356   

Sandbags Removed In Fenton......

     According to a news story on KSDK, thousands of people volunteered their time for 10 days to put sandbags up in the Fenton area. On Saturday, over 100 people showed up to help clean everything up. Some of the sandbags there were saved will be stored for future flooding. There were about 40 businesses and 20 homes that had water damage from this last flood. If they wouldn’t have had this help with the sandbags the damage would have been a lot worse.

To read more about this flood clean up click here

RiverBill's March Calendar :         Click here 

Flood Costs In Illinois Could Be In The Millions.......

    According to a news article in the Alton Daily News, there are about 19 counties in southern Illinois that are considered to be disaster areas because of the flood. This is the worse it has been in about 15 years and damages could be in the millions.  With more rains on the way, the cost of flood damages could go even higher !

To read more about this flooding issue, click here.

Help Wanted !  .......   Bartenders, Servers, & Cooks 

  Bartenders, Servers, & Cooks Needed for Marina on the Mississippi River..

VERY BUSY in the SUMMER!

Palisades Yacht Club, 1670 Riverview Drive, Portage Des Sioux, Mo. 63373
636-899-1093   or   Cell 636-233-2354

North Shore Oasis Opening in April........

  RiverBill's had a telephone conversation with Saba Khalil, one of the owners of North Shore Oasis Wednesday afternoon.

    Saba told us that they plan to open the doors to the public sometime in the middle of April.  They will still be open late nights and .....Expect Good Food, Good Music and Good Bands !

  Keep your anchor right where it is for more information about the new North Shore Oasis as it becomes available !
 

 Coming Soon

River Bills Classified Search Engine ! 

Create your own online ad at RiverBill's Classified Search Engine with online payment processing, and ad editing, and up to 16 photos per ad.

Keep Your Anchor Right Where It Is For More Info......

SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

This Historic landmark Needs Your help !

A private initiative to save the steamboat Delta Queen

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Click here to sign the on-line petition

~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~

A new chance for the Delta Queen
Mar 30, 2008Let’s act quickly — there is a new chance to get the exemption for the Delta Queen for vote to the House of Representatives. We need to contact the House of Representatives’ Leadership and ask them to put the exemption on the suspension calendar as a stand-alone bill (see details below).

There is still no date for the Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill in the House. The Committee on Rules correspondingly hasn’t decided about the amendment for the Delta Queen yet, too.

The House Leadership — namely Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Majority Whip James Clyburn — can bypass the Transportation Committee (and their chairman Rep. James Oberstar) as well as the Rules Committee (even if they don’t approve the amendment to the Coast Guard bill) and send H.R. 3852 directly to the Floor as a stand-alone bill on the suspension calendar. That’s what we’re going to ask them to do right now!

While we’re all waiting for the Coast Guard Bill to move forward, let’s get active again and contact the House Leadership:

Contact all three members of the House Leadership and ask them to put the bill "H.R. 3852" directly the floor as a stand-alone bill on the suspension calendar.
Stress the fact that this has always been a non-partisan issue and that it needs to remain one.
If you have copies of resolutions from your local city council or similar, please attach these to your faxes to the House Leadership (even if you have already sent copies to Congressman Chabot or to your own Representatives).
Please keep in mind that fax is still the best way to reach them quickly, but you might send e-mails in addition; two out of the three will accept email from people who are not in their districts.
If you need some guidance on what to write, here again is the link to some great background information on the situation of the Delta Queen you might want to use for your fax or e-mail.

The Hon. Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-0100
Fax: (202) 225-4188
Web page to send emails from: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

The Hon. Steny Hoyer
House Majority Leader
H-107 Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3130
Fax: (202) 226-0663

The Hon. James E. Clyburn
House Majority Whip
United States House of Representatives
H-329, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 226-3210
Fax: (202) 225-9253
Web page to send emails from: http://majoritywhip.house.gov/contact/

In parallel to that, one of our supporters will deliver printed copies of the steamboats.org online petitions (more than 1,200 entries) and more than additional 2,700 signatures collected by other members of the Delta Queen support team directly to the offices of the House ledership members in Washington, D.C. this week.

This is another great chance to get the exemption for the Delta Queen. Please, continue to support our campaign, even if you did send faxes, made phone calls, collected signatures before. Let’s keep up steam until we have the exemption for our beloved steamboat, the Delta Queen.

 

Missouri Handbook of Boating Laws and Responsibilities.......

   The Missouri Water Patrol has put together a handbook with boating laws and responsibilities. It can be downloaded on your computer in PDF format. To download this handbook or view it on your computer, click here

River Stages On Your Cell Phone:     Log on to your cell phone web browser & go to the following url address:  http://www.riverbills.com/river.html .  

21 Year Old Message In A Bottle........    

    According to an article in the Mad Mariner Magazine, a man Alaska found a plastic bottle floating in the Bering Sea with a letter inside from a student in Seattle, Washington.

   The amazing part of this story is that the letter was written 21 years ago !   The bottle traveled 1,735 miles without any help from the post office. The man that wrote the letter is 30 years old now, but was only nine when he did it as part of a science project in school.

To read about this amazing story, click here.

Weekend Report

Fri, Sat, Sun...28, 29 30 March 2008

 Over 1.2 Million Visitors Strong !

Updated Sun at 7:00 AM

Pic of the Day

Sunday

Our River Picture Of The Day.........  Is of a great "River Sunset" sent in by Sherri  Stanczak.

Hi, Bill,
What a way for Tom Lenkman to bring in his 50th birthday party - out on the river at his clubhouse on the river. Lou outdid herself on the food and getting everything set up. They had a great DJ with a Karoke setup. There was some good singing going on and what a beautiful sunset. Tom turned 50 at 12:01 am March 23rd.

Happy Birthday Tom & many more!!!!

Sherri

Pics of the Day

Saturday

Our River Pictures Of The Day.........

   Damaged miter gates at Lock and Dam #25  , Winfield, Mo

Damaged miter gate secondary gate anchorage assembly: gate anchorage eye bar, gate anchorage pin strut, anchorage pin, pin keeper, anchorage doubler struts 

For more information and pictures go to :

http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/navigation1/l-d25-closureM_mar-apr08.html 

~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

The above was reprinted from the US Army Corps of Engineers website.

Information presented on CorpsWeb public web sites is considered public information and may be distributed or copied.

Pic of the Day...Friday

Goodbye...Hello

GoodBye ----- 

Hi Bill, 

   Brett and I wanted to let you know that Blonde Moment is SOLD! 

   The new owners had it shipped to a lake in Oklahoma this past Saturday (3-15-08). I'm attaching a photo of us next to her on her last day in the Mississippi River. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling - lots of great memories, but we're ready to move on.

Thank you, 

Christine Koerner 
 

~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~

Hello !

Click on pic to enlarge

Hello ----- 

Hi Bill
Judy and I are at Kirk and Jeanne Wurdack's house in Chattanooga Tenn. after our trip to South Carolina, to pick up our Key West boat.

Attached please find photos of my new boat.

See you soon.
Gary L. Meinershagen
 

Yesteryear Picture of the Day

Updated Sun at 7:00 AM

The River Picture on this Day In 2005 ---Sunday    were a series of  6 pictures named,  "It doesn't look good !"     What is that guy doing wading in the water at the boat ramp ?     Again, we have a few clues -- OH NO !.   it's another vehicle in the water.   Keep pulling -- just a little further.    OK -   Just a little more ---Pull !  Now that we are checking things out --   are there any fish in there ?     Yes, everyone agrees What a mess !     

    These pictures were taken by Lisa Beckman a couple of summers ago at the Long Shot Saloon in Portage Des Sioux.   She was quick to point out that it wasn't her truck, nor did it belong to any of her friends and that it took two different tow trucks to get it out. 

Yesteryear Picture of the Day

The River Picture on this Day In 2006 ---Saturday  

Went to Principia College again, but this time we went hiking and found a way all the way out on the tip of the bluffs, It was such a nice view, and a great sunset, my son and I just sat there for about an hour and a half, even though we were both freezing.  To top it all off, a barge came along at just the right time to make it complete.....

Robert Cope

Yesteryear Picture of the Day

The River Picture on this Day In 2006 ---Friday   were sent in by Patrolman Lou Amighetti of the Missouri State Water Patrol.  It's pictures of the Water Patrol at work in front of the St. Louis Arch. 

Updated Sun at 7:00 AM

Save The Delta Queen ......

Received the following e-mail from Franz Neumeier of Save-the-Delta-Queen.org

To:             riverbill@prodigy.net
Subject:     Save the Delta Queen Newsletter
Date:         Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:37:02 +0200
From:        "Save the Delta Queen Campaign Team"
 

Dear supports of the Save the Delta Queen Campaign,

we've got reports directly from the Delta Queen that preparations for the 2008 season are running well, the boat is in an excellent technically condition and as you read this contractors are painting the superstructure to make her shine in a bright white when the season officially starts on April 18, New Orleans - Cincinnati.

We're all waiting for the Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill to be scheduled in the House of Representatives. The bill hasn't been scheduled yet in the House and the Committee on Rules correspondingly hasn’t decided about the amendment for the Delta Queen yet, too. This is probably due to the fact that the Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar is recovering from a hip surgery and hasn't returned to his office yet.

Anyway, there is a great new chance to get the exemption for the Delta Queen: The House Leadership — namely Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Majority Whip James Clyburn — can bypass the Transportation Committee as well as the Rules Committee and send H.R. 3852 directly to the Floor as a stand-alone bill on the suspension calendar.

That’s what we’re going to ask them to do right now!

Please, check www.save-the-delta-queen.org for how you can contact the House Leadership and all other details for this. Please, act quickly.

One of our supporters will deliver printed copies of the steamboats.org online petitions (more than 1,200 entries) and another more than 2,700 signatures collected by members of the Delta Queen support team directly to the offices of the House Leadership members in Washington, D.C. this week.

Again, here is a great chance to make big progress in saving the Delta Queen! We won't give up until we've got the exemption!

Yours Sincerely
Franz Neumeier
www.save-the-delta-queen.org
 

Updated Sat At 10:00PM

ITCS Memo ......

Received the following e-mail from the River Industry Bulletin Board website:


From: itcs@ribb.com View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
To: riverbill@prodigy.net
Subject: Lock #25 to Open Late Monday March 31st.
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:11:05 -0600

ITCS MEMO # 2644

Update on progress at Lock 25.

Both the secondary anchor bar and the top C-channel were removed last night. This morning engineers were able to inspect the lower embed and found it to be in usable condition eliminating one unknown. The new c-channel and doubler plates were sent to the Service Base last night and drilled to match the embedded anchor. This afternoon they were sent back to the lock for installation. The gudgeon pin was removed, and the bushing found to be in good condition, eliminating another unknown. The primary embeds were inspected and also found to be in satisfactory condition, eliminating the last of the current unknowns. Additionally, after re-installing the gudgeon pin, the adjusting nut on the primary anchor was broke loose today. The night crew will continue to work the tensioning bolt so it will be ready to pin the gate sometime tomorrow night. This has relieved the crew of replacing the primary anchor bar and pins which will save some time. Additionally, a spare secondary anchor was shipped from Rock Island to the site. The night shift will weld/bore the new c-channel and doubler plates to match the embed and hopefully the day shift tomorrow will be able to install the new secondary anchor linkage making the gate ready to pin tomorrow evening. With the inspections today revealing no additional damage and the primary anchor bar "breaking loose" for reuse, the projected date to put the gate back in service and reopen the lock is late Monday afternoon, 31 March.

Andy Schimpf, P.E.
Rivers Project Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
St. Louis District
301 Riverlands Way
West Alton, Mo. 63386-1704
(636) 899-2600 ext. 225 (office)
(636) 899-0044 (office direct)
(636) 899-2655 (fax)
(314) 630-6280 (mobile)
email: andrew.c.schimpf@usace.army.mil

 

Click here to read the ITCS Memo #2644

Check the ITCS website for most current memos

Updated Sat At 8:50 AM

Forecasters Are Worried That Flooding Is Not Over.....

  According to STLtoday news, weather forecasters are worried that the flooding is not over in the Meramac and Black Rivers in southern Missouri. With more rain on its way, they feel like it is too early to start putting the sandbags away. 

To read more about the predictions and what is being done to prepare for it click here

Updated Sat At 8:50 AM

Illinois Flood Watch Is Still On..........

   The Telegraph.com had a news article about Illinois counties such as Pike, Morgan, Jersey, Calhoun and Scott are still under flood watch. With more rain on the way, the waters that are going down are expected to rise again within the next few days. They say that it probably won’t get as bad as it was, but it is still too early to tell. 

To read more about the water levels and predictions, click here

Updated Sat At 8:50 AM

Missouri Water Patrol Class This Weekend ....

The Water Patrol is having safety classes this weekend in several different places. To find out the schedule, click here

Updated Sat At 6:50 AM

ITCS Memo 2643......

Received the following e-mail from the River Industry Bulletin Board website:

From:      itcs@ribb.com
To:          riverbill@prodigy.net 
Subject:  Lock 25 Closure Update - 28 March 
Date:      Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:15:49 -0600 

ITCS MEMO # 2643


Update on progress at Lock 25.

Concrete removal was completed last night. First thing this morning the Hercules crane was set up to pick the gate. The Grove crane was set on the land wall so the bonnet repair could take place. The Hercules was moved into position and hooked to the gate. The crews are working right now on removing the secondary anchor bar. This will be completed this afternoon to facilitate removal of the top C-Channel by the  second shift crew. Once complete, they will begin laying out the replacement  C-channel anchor. So far we are still on schedule for late Tuesday or early Wednesday. 

Current Issues:
1. Condition of bottom C-Channel on secondary anchorage is unknown and will affect the critical path. Tomorrow morning an inspection will take place at that location. By then we will know how that will play out.

2. Condition of gudgeon bushing is still unknown. Once the gudgeon pin is removed, this can be inspected and determined; hopefully by tomorrow morning.

Attached is a .pdf showing some of the damaged areas with descriptions.
We have also set up an area on our web page to post pictures as activities progress. Thanks to George Stringham of our PAO office for this effort.
http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/navigation1/l-d25-closureM_mar-apr08.html 

Click here to read the ITCS Memo #2643 

Check the ITCS website for most current memos

River Levels / Flood Warnings.........

Army Corps Of Engineers Press Release......

   Lock and Dam 25 (Winfield)

Received the following e-mail from the US Army Corps Of Engineers:

Subject:   Press Release 11-08: 

              Corps of Engineers announces Lock 25 closing moved forward 

Date:     Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:04:34 -0500 
From:    "Dalrymple, Nicole M MVS" <Nicole.M.Dalrymple@usace.army.mil>

Press Release 11-08:
Corps of Engineers announces Lock 25 closing moved forward

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District announced late last night that Lock 25 at Winfield, Mo., was closed last night after operators discovered further degradation to the anchorage system of the lower miter gate there. The Lock had previously been announced for closure at 8 a.m. Friday morning for priority repairs to the same gate.

The official announcement was made at 10:42 p.m., Wednesday night in a special notice to navigation interests. The new problem was discovered earlier in the day and traffic on the river had been halted while engineers and repair experts inspected the latest problem and determined the prognosis.


Thus far, issues appear to be confined to anchorage-hinge areas and no damage has been detected in the gate leaf itself. The additional problems, which include what is known as the gudgeon pin starting to loosen and slipping, were assessed to be serious enough to require repairs which had been scheduled for Friday, to be started immediately under emergency conditions. This step suspends navigation north and south at Lock 25.

Work is already underway to prepare to carry out previously announced repairs and at this time, St. Louis experts are assessing what other work may be required. No new time frame for completing repairs has been announced. It is expected that information will be available later today.

Lock and Dam 25 went into operation May 18, 1939. In 2007, more than 30.4 million tons of commodities transited the lock. The lock has a single 600-foot-long, 110-foot-wide lock chamber and it is located at river mile 241.4 on the Mississippi River. 

- end -

Note to editors: The term "gate leaf" refers to one of the two large metal "doors" that swing open and closed to allow access into and out of the lock chamber. Two gate leafs (correct terminology and spelling), associated anchorage and hinging, as well as machinery are parts of a "miter gate." Miter gates are so termed because when they are closed, or "mitered," they are like an arch lying on its side, transferring pressures and forces into the concrete walls of the lock. The gate leaf in this instance is at the downstream, or south end of the lock chamber, on the side furthest from the Missouri bank. Aerial photos of lock 25 are available on the St. Louis District web site at: http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/album/MVS-L-Ds/index.htm

Public Affairs Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mississippi Valley - St. Louis District
Comm: 314-331-8002
Fax: 314-331-8005
www.mvs.usace.army.mil 

Lewis Boat Marine Sales and Service.....

Lewis Engines will be open for business at their new location on Monday March 31st.  and the St. Charles store will be closed.

  The new company name is Lewis Boat Marine Sales and Service.  The new address is 4030 North Service Road, St. Peters, Mo 63376 (The old Pappas Toyota building) 

  Click here for map from Map Quest ..  

Missouri Handbook of Boating Laws and Responsibilities.......

   The Missouri Water Patrol has put together a handbook with boating laws and responsibilities. It can be downloaded on your computer in PDF format. To download this handbook or view it on your computer, click here

Army Corps Of Engineers Press Release......

   Spring Pulse on Missouri River

Received the following e-mail from the US Army Corps Of Engineers:

Subject:     Release #08-006: Corps to eliminate spring pulse below Kansas City 
Date:         Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:43:14 -0500 
From:        "Dalrymple, Nicole M MVS" 

Corps to eliminate spring pulse below Kansas City

OMAHA - The Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will adjust releases from five tributary dams in Missouri and Kansas to eliminate the spring pulse on the Missouri River below Kansas City. "We would not have started the March pulse from Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota if we felt there was risk to public health and safety," said Larry Cieslik, Chief of the Missouri River Water Management Office here, "but we have heard the concerns of people in Missouri loud and clear. 

"In response to the comments we received over the past days regarding the March pulse, we initiated discussions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on modifying the pulse," said Cieslik. "The Service concurs that this
plan to reduce releases from these five dams provides the benefit it envisioned to ensure the continued existence of the pallid sturgeon. The Service also agreed that the elimination of the pulse below Kansas City was not a concern
for the sturgeon because of the existence of the natural spring rises in the reach.

"So, this option achieves the benefit for the pallid sturgeon in the upper river while completely eliminating the flood risk from the pulse downstream of Kansas City to the confluence with the Mississippi River," Cieslik said. All Missouri River gages are well below flood stage. River stages are forecast to continue to fall over the coming days.

"Releases from Milford, Tuttle Creek and Perry dams on Kansas River tributaries, Clinton Dam on the Wakarusa River, and Smithville Dam on the Little Platte River will be cut varying amounts for a total reduction of 5,100 cfs," said Col. Roger Wilson, Kansas City District Commander. "These releases will be maintained until the pulse passes the Kansas City area, completely eliminating the pulse."

The March pulse complies with the 2003 Amended Biological Opinion and the Endangered Species Act. The Corps and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service worked closely to develop a reasonable and prudent alternative for spring pulses to
avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of the endangered pallid sturgeon with the least possible impact to other users of the river and reservoirs. 

Over the course of the year, the impact of the pulse will reduce the levels in each of the large upper three reservoirs by less than 0.1 of a foot. There will be no impact to water intakes or to historical and cultural sites along the reservoirs that are significant to the Missouri River basin Tribes.
- END -

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Northwestern Division
Contacts: 
Paul Johnston, (402) 995-2416
Larry Cieslik, (402) 697-2675
Alicia Embrey, (816) 389-3688

Apartments For Rent......  One and two bedroom apartments at Kinder's No Wake Inn.     Call: 314-620-1971 .. or .. 618- 883- 2356   

Are You Safe From Flooding If You Live on Your Boat ?????

    In a story on Mad Mariner, a couple talks about their life living on their boat. Many people ask them where they keep everything, how do they take showers and many other questions. One question was what they did during the flood. They thought that they would be safe when it flooded because they could just move. Instead of their house going under water, they would just stay on top of the water. Since they had a generator, they could still cook, have hot showers and live pretty normal. However, when a huge storm hit Richmond, Virginia, where their marina is, they had some pretty tough times. 

  To read “Coping with a Flooded Marina”, click here

To Renew Your Hunting License in Illinois You Have To Pay Your Child Support..

     If you plan to renew your hunting license this year in Illinois, you better be caught up on your child support. According to the Alton Daily News, the state of Illinois will not allow you to renew your hunting license if you are not caught up with your child support. 

   To read more about this new law, click here

RiverBill's March Calendar :         Click here 

Help Wanted !  .......   Bartenders, Servers, & Cooks 

  Bartenders, Servers, & Cooks Needed for Marina on the Mississippi River..

VERY BUSY in the SUMMER!

Palisades Yacht Club, 1670 Riverview Drive, Portage Des Sioux, Mo. 63373
636-899-1093   or   Cell 636-233-2354

North Shore Oasis Opening in April........

  RiverBill's had a telephone conversation with Saba Khalil, one of the owners of North Shore Oasis Wednesday afternoon.

    Saba told us that they plan to open the doors to the public sometime in the middle of April.  They will still be open late nights and .....Expect Good Food, Good Music and Good Bands !

  Keep your anchor right where it is for more information about the new North Shore Oasis as it becomes available !
 

Spring In Water Houseboat Expo...... 

We received the following e-mail from Scott Bachman of Wahoo Marine Sales fame.

From:        Wahoomarine@aol.com 
Date:        Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:13:00 EDT 
Subject:    Spring In Water Houseboat Expo 

I would like to personally invite you and your family to our Spring In Water Houseboat Expo, April, 12 and 13th at Polestar Marina, 6171 Highway V, St. Charles, MO 63301.

We will have on display approximately 8 New and Pre Owned Gibson houseboats for you to tour along with the brand new 2008 Gibson 47' Classic with Yanmar 110 diesels. You will be amazed at the fuel economy, around 4 mpg and a cruise range of 700+ miles. We have already sold the first one and the owner just absolutely loves it. This is the second one off the line and we are offering it at no up charge for this diesel package. That is a savings of over $9000. Please stop by, you will not be disappointed.

If you need any information about the Spring In Water Houseboat Expo or need more information on our Gibson houseboats, please contact my sales manager Tom Stiefvater at 636-949-2738 or you can email him at tomwahoomarine@aol.com

You may also visit our web site at www.Wahoo-Marine.com for a complete list of Gibson houseboats that we have in stock. 

I hope to see you there.


Sincerely,

Scott W. Bachman Owner
Wahoo Marine Sales
Your Gibson Houseboat Dealer

 Coming Soon

River Bills Classified Search Engine ! 

Create your own online ad at RiverBill's Classified Search Engine with online payment processing, and ad editing, and up to 16 photos per ad.

Keep Your Anchor Right Where It Is For More Info......

Lower Mississippi River Flooding........

   The flood water from the upper Mississippi and Ohio Rivers is heading South.  

  The Mississippi River at Vicksburg, Mississippi is predicted to hit flood stage of 43 feet on Saturday and crest at 45 1/2 feet on April 4, 

To read more in ClarionLedger.com, click here

SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

This Historic landmark Needs Your help !

A private initiative to save the steamboat Delta Queen

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Click here to sign the on-line petition

~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~

Know Your Boating Laws..........

   Missouri Boating Law of the Month....Click here

Two Local Mayors Are Watching The Rivers For More Flooding........

   With all of the flooding going on in Missouri and southern Illinois, and the talk of more to come, Grafton's Mayor Richard Mosby and Alton's Mayor Don Sandidge are really watching the waters and the future predictions for more flooding. Both have plans in place to address the possibility of more flooding.

 To read more in the Alton Daily News about what the mayors are planning to do, click here

Man's Body Found in The Mississippi River in St. Paul, Mn.......

     According to Twincities.com, a 55-year old man was last seen on New Year’s Eve, jumping off the Smith Avenue Bridge. His body was found on Wednesday by two fishermen. Authorities feel that it was probably a suicide; however, it is still under investigation.

Click here to read this new story.

Thursday...27 March 2008

 Over 1.2 Million Visitors Strong !

Picture of the Day

Click on pic to enlarge

A Sea OF Pelicans

Our River Picture of the Day ----- is from Capt'n Gary Lucy, the river artist, who hails out of Palisades Yacht Club in the houseboat "River Rover".

   Gary sent us a picture of a "Sea of Pelicans" a week or so ago that he took from outside the chapel at Principia College on the bluffs on the Illinois side of the river.  He mentioned in his e-mail that this may be material for a future painting !
 

  RiverBill says....Thanks for the picture and e-mail Gary.  That's a lot of pelicans !