JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Despite recent rainfall, the Mississippi River remains low at Kimmswick. The town had hoped the new port would bring fresh tourism, but they, like many places along the river, have been victims of the drought.
Persistent low water levels have made the port at Kimmswick difficult for riverboats to dock.
“The river level, and whatever is normal, should be right at the edge of that concrete, but it’s kind of interesting in the design and layout of this port,” Kimmswick Mayor Phil Stang said. “We’ve had 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, the second-highest flood in history. Drought was the furthest thing from our minds. We were looking at saturation levels of the ground and all that kind of stuff all over the Midwest.”
While low water levels continue to threaten not only Kimmswick but many other places along the Mississippi, folks in this community are hoping for more rain and snow in the upcoming months so that their port can be used once more.