Captain Ed Floyd says water at the mouth of the Hickman Harbor is about 5 to 6 feet deep, and he needs about 7 feet of water to operate safely.

The river gauge at Cairo was at 12.58 feet Saturday morning. With the region in a severe drought, and about 12 inches below normal rainfall for the year, Captain Floyd says until there is sufficient rain to raise the river level about a foot, the ferry will remain closed.

A US Army Corps of Engineers dredge is scheduled to come to Hickman to improve water depth in the harbor. However, the dredge has about a week of work to complete near Memphis before it can travel upstream on the Mississippi to start work at Hickman.

In the meantime, the Dorena-Hickman Ferry will remain closed. We will attempt to provide timely notice when the ferry is able to resume service.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry connects KY 1354 at Hickman, Kentucky, with Missouri Route A and Route 77 near Dorena, Missouri.

For more info on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry and a schedule of operating hours go to http://www.dorena-hickmanferryboat.com.  Motorists can also check on the ferry’s operating status by calling 731-693-0210.