Coast Guard temporarily shuts down boat travel on Missouri River

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The U.S. Coast Guard has temporarily shut down traffic on the Missouri River across almost the entire Show-Me state due to high water levels and levee conditions.

The Coast Guard has put a “safety zone” in effect from mile marker 22 – in St. Charles – to mile marker 366 in Kansas City. The safety zone, put in place on July 5 and scheduled until July 10, prohibits virtually all boat use on the river.

“You don’t want to risk your life, your family’s life, or even your property,” said Lt. Eric Kiehlmeier, a Public Affairs Officer with the Coast Guard. “There is simply so much mileage up and down the river that we don’t have enough resources to help everybody. If everyone went out there and something happened, our emergency services would be overwhelmed. We are just trying to mitigate risk right now.”

When water levels get high, the Missouri State Highway Patrol warns they can pose an extreme risk to boaters. One major threat is debris.

“When water goes up, it kind of flushes down a lot of things that were on the riverbanks or nearby – trees, limbs, that kind of stuff – and it puts it in the water,” said Corporal Clay Moeller of the Missouri Highway Patrol. “You’ll have submerged items that you won’t necessarily see. In the Missouri River, you’ll see trees that are 30 or 40 feet long.”

Currently, the Coast Guard’s safety zone is in place until July 10. However, if water levels recede to safe levels, they may open certain parts of the river before that date. While the river remains closed, the Missouri Highway Patrol wants all boaters to be cautious when they are on any water.

“Make sure you are operating within the means of your abilities,” said Moeller. “A lot of people overestimate what their boat can do or what their boat driving and operating skills are, and they don’t realize that as floodwaters go up, the speeds on the water increase. It’s a lot more difficult to maneuver. It’s a lot more difficult to get from one location to the next, and water levels can rise a lot quicker than you might think.”

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