Missouri Resources - 2006 Summer

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M ISSOURIr e s o u r c e s

Sp ring /Summe r 2006 Volume 23 Number 2


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Spring holds a special meaning forme because its a time for renew-al. I cant remember a spring when

the promise of new life and renewal

meant more to me than it has this

year. For those of us who stood on thegrounds of Johnsons Shut-Ins State

Park just hours after the devastation

caused by the by the Dec. 14 breach

of the Taum Sauk Reservoir, it was

hard to believe that it could ever be

restored. However, staff members

have been working diligently with

AmerenUE and MACTEC, the compa-

ny in charge of the cleanup and

restoration. Im pleased to say that we

expect to provide public access with

interpretive walking, auto loops and

picnic areas in portions of the park byMemorial Day weekend. Only a por-

tion of the park will be accessible.

Camping will not be available and

swimming will not be allowed for

safety reasons. This short-term plan

will be in place for this season only.

The departments long-term redevel-

opment planning process will contin-

ue through this summer.

At public meetings held in Lester-

ville, local businesses and residents

have told us that repairing the qualityof the Black River continues to be a

top priority. Department staff mem-

bers are working with AmerenUE and

MACTEC to address this issue as

well. More information about ongo-

ing efforts to repair the park and

clean up the Black River can be found

in this magazine.

I invite you to take time to visi t

Johnsons Shut-Ins after it reopens

this spring. Of course, Johnsons

Shut-Ins State Park is part of an

award-winning network of stateparks and state his tor ic sites found in

nearly every nook and cranny of Mis-

souri, and any would make for an

ideal spring destination and a perfect

place to experience springs renewal.

The dedicated,

constitutional,

one-tenth-of-

one-percent

parks-and-soils

sales tax isevenly divided

between state

parks and soil

and water con-

servation efforts. Parks half pro-

vides about three-fourths of the divi-

sions budget for operation and

development of state parks. More in-

formation about renewing this tax

can also be found in this issue of

Missouri Resources.

And one last piece of goodnews:

The U.S. Green Building Council(USGBC) recently awarded a Lead-

ership in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED) Platinum certi fica-

tion for the Lewis and Clark State

Office Building, making it the first

state government building in the na-

tion to earn this recognition. The

building, designed by BNIM Archi-

tects, joins an elite portfolio of 12 fa-

cilities that have earned the highest

tier of recognition possible for ener-

gy and environmental design excel-lence under version 2.0. It is only the

second building in Missouri to

achieve the USGBCs highest rating.

Check out the fall issue ofMissouri

Resourcesfor more information on

this distinction.

Again, I hope youll take a li ttle

time to join us in celebrating natures

renewal by visiting one of our many

state parks and historic sites. Spring

is calling.

D oyle C hilders

M issouri D epartment of N atural Resources

Spring /S ummer 2006Volume 23 Number 2

State of MissouriGovernor

M a t t B l u n t

Director, Missouri Depa rtmentof Natural ResourcesD o y l e C h i l d e r s

Deputy Director, OperationsJ e f f S t a a k e

Deputy D irector, Po licyF loyd G i l zow

Deputy Director, LegalK u r t S c h a e f e r

Deputy D irector, Water Re source sM i k e W e l ls

Director, Division o f Sta te P arksD o u g E i k e n

Director, Division o f Ge ologyand Land S urvey

M i m i G a rs t a n g

Director, Division of Field ServicesJ im M a c y

Director, Division of Environme nta l Qua lityD a n S c h u e t t e

Director, Environmental Improvementand Energy Resources Authority

To m W e l c h

EditorS t u a r t W e s t m o r e l a n d

Assistant EditorP hi l i p J . Trem blay

Editorial BoardD e n i s e B e c k e rK e r r y C o r d r a yK a t h y D e t e r s

D a w n F r e d r i c k s o nL ina K le in

C o n n i e Pa t t e r s o nK e n n e t h S e e n e y

Design DirectorB e l i n d a H u g h e s

Assistant DesignerRuby Wel l s

PhotographerS c o t t M y e r s

CirculationJ e a n n e E . B in k l e y

M i s s i o n S t a te m e n tThe mission o f the Depa rtment of Natural Reso urces

is to preserve, protect, restore and enhanceMissouris natural, cultural and energy resources and

to inspire their enjoyment and res ponsible use forpresent and future generations.

MISSOURI RESOURCES

is published three times per year by the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources to inform reade rs

about important natural resource issues and how theyare being addressed. Any correspondence should be

directed to the editor at the Depa rtment of NaturalResources, Publications, P. O. Bo x 176, J efferson City,

MO 65102-0176, or c all 1-800-361-4827.E-mail address : [email protected] home page: www.dnr.mo.gov

MISSOURI RESOURCES

is ava ilable in a lternative formats.

As a recipient of fede ral funds, the Depa rtment ofNatural Resources cannot discriminate against any-

one on the basis of race, color, national origin,religion, ag e, s ex, or disa bility.

If anyone believes he or she has been subjected todiscrimination for any of these reasons, he or she mayfile a complaint with either the Department of Natural

Resources or the Office of Eq ual Opportunity, U.S.Depa rtment of the Interior, Was hingto n, D.C., 20240.

Missouri Resourcesis printed with soy ink onrecycled paper at Banta Publications Group,

Liberty, Missou ri.

printed on recycled paper
mailto:[email protected]://www.dnr.mo.gov/http://www.dnr.mo.gov/mailto:[email protected]


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p a g e 2

M is s o u r i s Pa r k s - a n d - S o i lsS a l es Taxby Sue Holst and Lindsay Tem pinsonM issouris state park system has benefi ted from a one-tenth-of-one percent sales tax that was first passed in 1984 andrenewed by two-thirds of M issouri voters in 1988 and 1996.U nder the tax, M issouris topsoil erosion rate hasdropped by more than any other state.

p a g e 7

Ter rac ing Trad i t io nS a v in g S o i l i s a Fa m il y P ra c t ic eby Lind say Tem pinsonFor more than 100 years, the H opper family has been fightingsoil erosion on their northwest M issouri farm. They are keep-ing soil on their fields wit h help from the parks-and-soils salestax. T hese funds help establish practices that reduce erosion.

p a g e 1 0

U n n a t u ra l D is a s t e rb y Philip J. Trem b layO n D ec. 14, 2005, the upper reservoir of A merenUEs Taum Saukhydroelectric facili ty in Reynolds C ounty ruptured and released more than abillion gallons of water onto a sleeping family and Johnsons Shut-ins State Park.The family has recovered, but the park and area ecosystem will take years to repair.

DNRphotosbyScottMyers

A b o v e r i g h t : Mu ddy w ater f lows dow n the East Fork of the Black River, near Lesterv i lle, soon af ter the Taum Sau k Reservoir breach.

A b o v e : Sum m er c louds pass over farmland a nd l ivestock nea r Highw ay 50, in Pett is County.

FRONT COVER: The rocky heart of Prof fi t Mountain is revealed below the reservoir breach near Johnsons Shut- ins State Park.

B AC K C O VE R: Dogwoods announce the arr ival of spr ing across the Show-Me State.

Cover photos by Sco tt Myers.

1 4 N e w s B r ie f s 2 3 Te a c h e r s N o te b o o kE- Notes, Letters, Career Connec tion

Tim e Exp osu re s, Re so urc e Ho no r Ro ll W a te r Pro te ct io n A Jo b fo r th e Ag es

2 0 Re s o u rc e s to Exp lo re 2 5 O n e La s t Wo rdCrow d er State Park Show -M e M o. State Parks Katy Tra il Challeng e

table of contentsM i s s o u r i D e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s


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2 M issouri Resources


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The Missouri state park system has a

proud tradition of preserving and in-

terpreting the states most outstand-

ing natural landscapes and cultural features

while providing recreational opportunities.

Since its beginnings in the 1920s, the state

park system has grown to more than

140,000 acres in 83 state parks and historic

sites and 61,000 acres in the Roger PryorPioneer Backcountry. More than 17 million

people annually visit the state park system,

which has an overall economic impact in

Missouri of $538 million annually.

Because of decreasing funds in the late

1970s and early 1980s, the Missouri Depart-

ment of Natural Resources state park system

had begun to deteriorate. In 1984, Missouri-

ans passed a one-tenth-of-one-percent sales

tax to support state parks and soil conserva-

tion efforts. Two-thirds of Missouri voters re-

newed the tax in 1988 and 1996. Unless reau-

thorized, the current tax will expire in 2008.The tax provides three-fourths of the

funding for the state park system, which

does not receive any general revenue. The

sales tax is absolutely essential to maintain-

ing our state parks and to the delivery of

quality services to all Missouri citizens and

the visiting public, says Ron Coleman,

president of the Missouri Parks Association.

Without the tax, drastic changes would be

required in the way we manage our state

park system.

What Has Been Done So Far

Services and Facilities: The key priorities

for the funds have been to provide exempla-

ry service to park visitors while also main-

taining and upgrading facilities to best meet

the needs of those visitors. The Division of

State Parks emphasis on quality service has

resulted in over 80 percent of its full-time

and seasonal staff providing service directly

to visitors at state parks and historic sites.

This means they are maintaining the parks

and sites, upgrading the facilities, assistingvisitors, ensuring the safety of guests and

protecting or interpreting the systems natu-

ral and cultural significance. Despite new

initiatives and additional responsibilities,

the number of employees for the state park

system has remained fairly constant for the

past 10 years.

Additionally, the consistent funding

from the sales tax has allowed the division

to focus on maintaining the current state

park

system and

enhancing fa-

cilities and serv-

ices where neces-

sary and appropriate.

Public input is essential

in assisting the division in

determining where improve-ments are needed in the delivery

of services and in the maintenance

of facilities.

Other Efforts: Another

key priority has been to

improve the facilities

in the systems 40

campgrounds. These

improvements include

upgrading electrical

sites, increasing the

number of electricalcampsites and renovat-

ing showerhouses and

restrooms. Approxi-

mately 500 campsites

have been upgraded

with electricity in the

last two years. In re-

sponse to user input, a

centralized camp-

ground reservation sys-

tem was implemented,

which makes reservinga campsite easier and

more convenient.

These campground

improvements have

been very popular with

campers. When we go

camping in state parks,

we can see where the

money has been used

and how it benefits us.

These new electric sites

and better showerhouses

are visible reminders ofhow important the tax

is, says Roger Nier-

mann of Florissant.

Niermann, along

with his wife Debby

and Charles and Kath-

leen Hinton of Hazel-

wood, were recognized

by the department in

2005 as the first 25-

The Missouri State Park system does not receive

any general revenue funding from the state.

Three-fourths of the systems funding comes

from the parks-and-soils tax. Voters have shown

their support for the operations and improve-

ments of Missouris parks and historic sites by

overwhelmingly approving the last two renewals.

The Missouri State Park System

Past, Present

and Futureby Sue Holst

DNRfilephoto

Spring/Summer 2006 3


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year camper award recipients. As long-timecampers, the Niermanns and Hintons were

using state parks before the tax was created

in 1984. When we first started camping in

state parks, we had to clear the grass from

the campsites ourselves before we could set

up a tent. Now everything is so much bet-

ter, Niermann relates.

Day-use areas (picnic areas, play-

grounds, etc.) have been improved and

more than 240 miles of the systems 260

miles of road have been surfaced or resur-

faced. More than 980 miles of trail are pro-

vided. Water and sewer systems, lagoonsand wastewater treatment facilities have

been built or upgraded in approximately 30

state parks, ensuring that all environmental

standards are met and the parks valuable

resources are protected.

The Missouri state park system has be-

come a national leader in the efforts to

make the system accessible to everyone.

The sales tax funding has allowed the de-

partment to upgrade its facilities in compli-

ance with the Americans with Disabilities

Act so everyone can truly enjoy the state

park system.

New Developments: All recent major acqui-sitions were the result of partnerships or do-

nations, but the sales tax was used to devel-

op and operate the sites. Two sites were

donated to the system: Morris State Park,

which preserves a unique landscape in

southeast Missouri, and Clarks Hill/Norton

State Historic Site, which preserves a hill

that William Clark climbed and noted in his

journal in 1804. The other site was the Ed-

ward Ted and Pat Jones-Confluence Point

State Park, which includes the confluence

of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Thissite was the result of several donations,

grants and partnerships. A unique

private/public partnership between the de-

partment and the L-A-D Foundation is al-

lowing public access to 61,000 acres in the

Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry. These re-

cent initiatives continue a trend that more

than 60 percent of Missouris state park sys-

tem has either been donated or acquired at

little or no cost through leases.

What Remains to be Done

The main priority for the future will be to

maintain and upgrade the current facilities

and provide adequate staff to maintain the

current level of visitor services. Although

much progress has been made, the park sys-

tem continues to need ongoing stewardship,

repairs and maintenance.

Sue Holst is division information officer for

the departments Division of State Parks.


Eighty percent of MissouriState Parks staff provide

service directly to park and

historic site visitors. This

includes interpretation

(above), maintenance and

facility upgrades (above

right), visitor information

and assistance, and onsite

safety through the park

ranger program.

DNRfilephoto


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In the 1930s, Americans realized how

devastating soil erosion could be. As

the Dust Bowl swept across the nation,

it relocated an estimated 300 million tons of

soil. Legislation began to take shape to bet-

ter manage and conserve our nations soil.

Despite these actions, in 1982, Missouri

was still losing more soil than any other

state except Tennessee.Erosion is a natural process caused by

wind and water, but it can increase substan-

tially when the landscape is altered without

appropriate conservation practices in place.

As long as it rains, there will be erosion.

Were the caretakers of the land and we

need to protect it for future generations,

said Elizabeth Brown, chair of the Missouri

Soil and Water Districts Commission.

In 1984, Missouri voters passed the one-

tenth-of-one-percent parks-and-soils sales

tax to help fund soil conservation efforts

and state parks. In order to conserve Mis-souris soil and water resources for future

generations, several voluntary programs

have been created to provide agricultural

landowners with incentives for installing

soil and water conservation practices.

The Soil and Water Districts Commis-

sion, through the Missouri Department of

Natural Resources, administers the soil

funds from the parks-and-soils sales tax, as

well as the programs the tax supports, to

Missouris 114 county soil and water con-

servation districts. Each district works withlandowners at the local level to decrease

soil erosion and improve water quality. In

order to provide these services, each district

receives a grant that can be used to hire per-

sonnel, fund technical assistance and pro-

vide information and education programs.

Since the passage of the tax, Missouris

soil erosion rates have dropped by more

than half. According to the last available

data, the 1997 Natural Resources Inventory,

Missouris erosion rates have dropped more

than any other state.

Ero-

sion is an

ongoing

process. I dont

know if youll ever

get your land a hun-

dred percent erosion

free, said Richard Lier-

heimer, an Audrain Countylandowner. During a big rain

event, soil can be lost and you can

lose in a matter of a few hours what it

takes hundreds of years

to get back, Lier-

heimer added. The hilly

topography, soil types

and amount of rainfall

in Missouri make the

state prone to erosion.

Theyve [soil and

water conservation pro-

grams] helped us dosome things we would-

nt otherwise be able to

do, said Lierheimer.

Incentives from the

Cost-Share Program

have helped Lierheimer

install terraces and wa-

terways that reduce

erosion on his farm.

The Cost-Share Pro-

gram provides incen-

tives for agriculturallandowners to install

practices that prevent or

control excess erosion.

Landowners can re-

quest a reimbursement

for up to 75 percent of

the cost of a practice.

The practice first must

go through a through a

certification process

and a maintenance

agreement must be

(Above) Missouris one-tenth-of-one-percent

parks-and-soils-sales tax helps local soil and

water conservation districts fund and staff edu-

cational days across the state. To help illus-

trate how easily valuable topsoil can be

washed away, one ton of soil spread across an

entire football field would only be the thickness

of a dime.

(Left) Since 1982, Missouri has cut its per-acre

rate of soil erosion by more than half the best

improvement in the nation.

PhotobyAnnWhitehead,

PhotobySarahSzachnieski,

Soil and Water Conservation

Critical to

Missouriby Lindsay Tempinson

*

*Pre-release estimates based upon the 2003 National Resources Inventory. These estimates are subject to change.

DNRgraphic



8/28

signed. Prior to installation, landowners

must contact their local soil and water con-

servation district and work with the NaturalResources Conservation Service to design

the practice.

Programs such as the Cost-Share Pro-

gram have helped reduce erosion rates in

the state by more than half, but it is not the

only program helping Missouri landowners

conserve soil and water. The Agricultural

Nonpoint Source Special Area Land Treat-

ment Program (AgNPS SALT) funds five-to

seven-year projects that focus on decreasing

agricultural nonpoint source pollution in

targeted watersheds. The AgNPS SALT Pro-gram uses total resource management prac-

tices to decrease sediments, nutrients, pesti-

cides and other chemicals entering

waterways. More than 70 watershed proj-

ects have received funding and assistance

since the programs creation in 1997, and 11

of them have been successfully completed.

The department also offers the Loan In-

terest-Share Program. The program reim-

burses a portion of interest on landowners

loans when they purchase equipment or ad-

minister management practices that reduce

erosion or its potential.In addition, scientists from the soil sci-

ence section provide the scientific founda-

tion for conservation by continually updat-

ing the Soil Survey, which is available to

the public at no charge. The section also

provides technical soils assistance to

landowners. The survey can be accessed at

[http://soils.missouri.edu].

Soil and Water Districts Commissioner

Richard Fordyce said, As a farmer, I see

firsthand the improvements weve put in

place with the sales tax, but obviously

theres more work to be done.

Erosion washes away productive topsoil,

leading to decreased productivity of our

land. The food that we eat and Missouris

$4.97 billion agricultural industry depend

on productive soil. Of Missouris 44.6 mil-

lion acres of land, 26.3 million acres areconsidered agricultural. Cultivated cropland

comprise 10.5 million of those acres; 14.2

million acres are dedicated to pasture and

hay land; and 1.6 million acres are Conser-

vation Reserve Program land.

Erosion not only negatively affects the

productivity of the land, it affects the quali-

ty of the water. When soil erodes, it washes

into streams, rivers and lakes. Sediment

continues to be the leading cause of water

pollution in Missouri. Sediment can lead to

the destruction of valuable aquatic habitat,

such as fish spawning areas. It also increas-es the probability of flooding. Suspended

soil particles in the water also decrease

clarity and sediment carries chemicals and

unwanted nutrients directly into Missouris

waterways.

Keeping chemicals and soil out of the

water protects our health and gives us clean

water to drink, said Brown. Having to re-

move unsafe chemicals from our waterways

also can add millions of dollars each year to

water treatment costs.

Through conservation practices, Bill

Ambrose, a Miller County farmer and

rancher, has decreased the amount of

sediment and chemicals entering the

stream that flows past his farm, improving

water quality.

I hope people in the city realize that the

water that ends up in their water supply is

cleaner and healthier from the very begin-

ning, said Ambrose. He has planted trees

and shrubs around riparian areas to act as

buffers, built fences to exclude cattle from

the stream, and implemented an intensivegrazing system.

The parks-and-soils sales tax allows us

to install conservation practices on the land.

Landowners would not have had the incen-

tives and been able to install the practices if

not for the tax, said Brown.

Lindsay Tempinson is a public information

specialist for the departments Soil and

Water Conservation Program.


More than half of Mis-

souris land acreage is con-

sidered agricultural. With a

$4.97 billion agricultural in-

dustry in the state, it is no

wonder that a successful

soil conservation effort is

worth its weight in gold to

our economy.

DNRphotobyLindsayTempinson
http://soils.missouri.edu/http://soils.missouri.edu/


9/28

Steve Hopper and his family have

been fighting a never-endingbattle with soil erosion on their

northwest Missouri farm for more than 100

hundred years.

Hopper Farms is located a few miles

north of Chillicothe. Hopper, who received

a degree in animal husbandry from the Uni-

versity of Missouri-Columbia, operates the

farm with his daughter and son-in-law. They

raise cattle and row crops, such as corn and

soybeans, on the 1,600-acre farm.

Conservation has played a vital role on

Hopper Farms since the farms creation.

The family has two theories on farming. Inthe Hopper family, we dont give land to

anybody who hasnt farmed here. We dont

believe in absentee owners because they

dont take care of it [the land], said Hop-

per. And when you die, your ground ought

to be in better shape than it was when you

acquired it.

Hopper admits that sometimes this is dif-

ficult. Most farmers will tell you, and Hop-

per is no exception, that as long as it rains

there will be erosion, and they are right.

Rain washes over the land, eroding the soiland depositing it, along with nutrients, pes-

ticides and other chemicals, in our water.

Erosion is a natural process caused by water

and wind. However, this process can be ac-

celerated when humans alter the landscape

through activities such as agriculture and

development. By decreasing erosion the

productive topsoil necessary to produce our

food stays on the land, and does not pollute

the water.

The Soil and Water Districts Commis-

sion, through the Missouri Department of

Natural Resources, administers funds fromthe parks-and-soils sales tax to Missouris

soil and water conservation districts. In

turn, they provide landowners with incen-

tives for installing soil and water conserva-

tion practices. These practices help prevent

erosion and improve water quality.

You keep the dirt on the hills so your

grandkids can eat as well as you did, and

keep soil out of the drinking water of those

downstream, Hopper says. Slowing the

Spring / Summer 2006 7

by Lindsay Tempinson

Steve Hopper, of Hopper

Farms, near Chillicothe, be-lieves his family portrait

should include a place for

traditional soil conservation

practices. This concern

crosses several genera-

tions of the Hopper Family

and helps keep soil on the

fields that provide the fami-

lys livelihood.

DNRphotobyScottMyers


10/28

speed at which rain washes over the land

and planting trees, shrubs and grasses help

the ground absorb water, decreasing erosion.

Waterways, terraces, buffer strips andno-till planting are a few of the conserva-

tion practices used on Hopper Farms. In

one way or another, even through rotation

or through mechanical practices, weve

been doing conservation on this place for

125 years, Hopper said. Hoppers great-

grandfather bought the first parcels of land

in 1883 that would become Hopper Farms.

Hopper added, For almost 60 years the

only thing we did on this place was rotate

crops and livestock. For three years they

would grow crops in a field, then convert it

to pasture for 10 years. This reduced the

number of times a field would be plowed.

Plowing eliminates ground cover, contribut-

ing to erosion. The same principles are ap-

plied to the farm today through no-till plant-

ing, which increases the amount of crop

residue on the ground, decreasing erosion.

I

n 1938, when Hopper was a child, the

Soil Conservation Service, now theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Natural Resources Conservation Service

(NRCS), designed concrete weirs, and the

Civilian Conservation Corps installed them.

The weirs, or soil-saving dams, as Hopper

refers to them, slow down water coming

from a terrace system. They also create a

stable path for water to flow through.

They stopped erosion for a long time,

said Hopper. But, like all conservation prac-

tices, they do not last forever. He adds that

even with upkeep and maintenance, terraces

gradually get worked down and waterwayseventually deteriorate.

Ive got terraces down there that are 50

or 60 years old, said Hopper. In the 1940s,

Hopper and his father, a county extension

agent, began terracing the farm. The

process was much more difficult than today.

Using a level, a grader and a dull ax with a

piece of paper folded over the blade to mark

the grade, they terraced more than 400 acres

in 10 years.

It took us a while but we made terraces

that way, Hopper added.



DNRphotobyLindsayTempinson

(Above) Plastic pipe is in-

stalled as part of the cur-

rent system of tile outlet ter-

races that are saving soil on

the Hopper farm.

(Below) Contour farming

along the terraces further

slows water runoff and pro-

tects long, gradual slopes

from soil erosion.


11/28

In appearance, a ter-

race is similar to a

staircase. A terrace is a

mound of soil that

spans the length of a

field. By building sev-

eral terraces in a field,

the length of the slope

is shortened. A field

with a long slope al-lows water to flow

quickly over it, eroding

the soil. When the field

is broken into several

sections with smaller

slope lengths it slows

the water, decreasing

erosion. These struc-

tures are built to reduce

erosion on cropland.

By the mid-fifties,

the University of Mis-

souri Extension was

pushing terraces pretty

hard, having field days, demonstrating a

new terrace-making machine, the whirlwind

terracer, Hopper said. Still, few landown-

ers built terraces. Hopper says all that began

to change in the 1980s due to the develop-

ment of incentives and programs at state

and federal levels, such as the states Cost-

Share Program, intended to help landowners

install conservation practices on their land.

Hopper is still installing terraces on his

farm, only now they are built with a dozerand a grader. Now were going the tile out-

let route. A tile outlet terrace was installed

in one of his fields in December 2005. Ac-

cording to Hopper, the field was originally

terraced more than 50 years ago. About 20

to 25 years ago, grass filter strips were

added to the field. Tile outlet terraces divert

water to where he wants it, and Hopper feels

that they are more beneficial for his farm.

In order to receive state cost-share as-

sistance on a tile outlet terrace, the

NRCS must be contacted to design the ter-race system and the local district notified in

order to start the process. Only then can the

building process can begin.

A tile system is built by digging trenches

and placing drainage tile and plastic tubing

with tiny drainage holes in the trench, and

burying it. A riser connects the tile to the

surface, and is usually covered with a grate

to keep animals out. The terrace is then

built, which directs water into the riser. The

water then flows through the tile to an out-

let, instead of over the land. Hopper says

that once a terrace is built, maintenance is

necessary to keep it working properly.

We signed a statement saying wed

maintain these practices for 10 years; we try

to make them last 20, Hopper added. End

of 20 years, generally something is wrong

[terrace] tubes plug up or water is cutting

somewhere it shouldnt.

If a landowner receives state cost-shareto build terraces, they must sign an agree-

ment to maintain the practice for 10 years.

Hopper also is working to install buffer

strips on about 50 acres, and said that he has

planted more than 12,000 trees on the farm.

He also has 400 acres enrolled in the

USDAs Conservation Reserve Program,

and estimates that he has about 65 to 70 na-

tive grass filter strips.

Through the use of these various conser-

vation practices, his dedication and hard

work, Hopper has been able to prevent soil

erosion and improve water quality.By helping ourselves, we benefit our

neighbors. I guess thats a simple way to put

it. If we do it right and we treat our ground

properly, and all the ground around us,

well have clean water and plentiful topsoil

for the next years crop.

Lindsay Tempinson is a public information

specialist for the departments Soil and

Water Conservation Program.


A soil-saving dam, con-

structed on Hopper Farms

in the late 1930s, slowed

water coming off the terrace

system. The concrete weirs

were once the frontline de-

fense against soil erosion.

Today, the job is better han-

dled by buried plastic pipe

and tile drainage systems.

DNR

photobyScottMyers


12/28



13/28

In less than 15 minutes, more than a billion gallons of water blast-

ed through a ruptured reservoir wall and scoured a path to

bedrock through mountainside earth and forest. At the base of the

mountain, the surge swept vehicles from a rural road, scattered a fami-

ly of five along with their disintegrating home and heavily damaged

Missouris popular Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park.

Media quoted paramedic Chris Hoover at the scene: Well never

see anything like it in our lifetime again.

Sometime before 5:20 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2005, a 600-foot long breach

of the 55-acre upper reservoir at the Taum Sauk Hydroelectric Plant re-

leased a 5 million-ton torrent. The facility was built atop Proffit Moun-

tain in eastern Reynolds County. Approximately five miles east is Taum

Sauk Mountain, in western Iron County, Missouris highest point.

At 5:12 a.m., according to AmerenUE sources, gauges at the

companys main hydropower plant at the

Lake of the Ozarks showed the

upper reservoir pumped full

to a depth of 90 feet.

At 5:24 a.m.,

those same gauges showed the

water level in the reservoir had

dropped 70 feet.

At approximately 5:20 a.m., an esti-

mated 20-foot wall of water reached the

bottom of Proffit Mountain and slammed into

a truck that was hauling a load of zinc on RouteN. The driver climbed onto the truck cab roof and

saw that another truck and a car were also submerged,

with the drivers also on the roofs. The water receded within

30 minutes.

The reservoir breach released a surge of water that scraped an

8,500-foot-long gash into the tree-covered side of Proffit Mountain.

Because the breach was on the northwest side of the reservoir berm,

the water rushed down the western slope and into the East Fork of the

Black River, less than one-half mile from the home of Park Superinten-

dent Jerry Toops and his family. When the water reached the river, it


story by Philip J. Tremblayphotograph by Scott Myers


14/28

swept straight across the streambank, goug-

ing out a scour hole and then splitting as it

rushed up a hill near the park entrance and

the superintendents home. Much of the

water then sped back toward the riverbed

and the lower reservoir as the remainder

went into the park.

By 5:25 a.m., the wall of water had

washed the Toops family from their beds

and pushed them several hundred yardsamong uprooted trees and mud. Volunteer

firefighters from nearby Lesterville found

them within 90 minutes, 500 yards from

their destroyed home. Shocked but alive,

they were rushed to hospitals and treated for

hypothermia and

minor injuries.

As it swept into the

park, the water also

pushed an empty

flatbed tractor-trailer

from Route N near the park entrance and

destroyed or damaged a barn, a tractor, a

hay-baler and other equipment at a nearby

farm. The debris-laden water continuedthrough the park and downstream about two

miles to the lower Taum Sauk reservoir,

where, fortunately, the dam held. Emer-

gency crews were called in for an evacua-

tion of 100 people from parts of Lesterville,

17 miles south of the lower reservoir. But,

because the lower reservoir held, the flood

never reached the town.

Union Electric Co., the forerunner of

AmerenUE, built its Taum Sauk Hydroelec-

tric Plant on Proffit Mountain in 1963 to

provide electricity during times of peak de-

mand. The 55-acre hilltop reservoir, built of

a concrete-lined wall of crushed rock, could

hold 1.5 billion gallons of water to a maxi-

mum depth of 90 feet.

The system generated electricity as water

dropped 800 feet down a 7,000-foot tunnel

through turbines and then into a 380-acre

lower reservoir on the East Fork of theBlack River. At night, when electricity de-

mand is low, AmerenUE pumped the water

back up the mountain again.

It was during the routine pump-back stage

that something went wrong. AmerenUE offi-

cials suspect that the automatic pumping sys-

tem didnt shut off when it filled the upper

reservoir. Apparently, the resulting spillover

gradually eroded and then suddenly collapsed

a V-shaped, 600-foot section of the wall. An

event that was over in barely 30 minutes had

set into motion a project that would require

years, if not decades, to complete.Greg Combs, a field operations manager

for the Department of Natural Resources,

said in early February that 60 people were

working full time to recover the park, most

employed by AmerenUE. The recovery team

had removed more than 4,800 dump-truck

loads of sediment. Also, 1,750 truckloads of

dead trees were removed from the park and

taken to a grinder or burned, said Jackson

Bostic, emergency response coordinator for

the department. More than 1,300 loads of

mulch were ground from the debris.Bostic said, We worked first to stabilize

the river banks and remove debris from the

channel. We restored the Johnston Ceme-

tery to its prior condition. Almost all dam-

age assessments were done by mid-Janu-

ary, he said. Once immediate

environmental concerns are addressed,

more work will be directed toward long-

term strategies for recovery.

Responding to the concerns of local cit-

izens, we are focusing on the Black River

all the way down to Clearwater Lake. A lot

of people make a living from the river,many have property that has been impact-

ed, Bostic said. Canoe outfitters are con-

cerned that the river may not be clear of

sediment when their customers arrive for

this season.

Regular public meetings have confirmed

that water quality in the Black River is a

priority to area residents. The use of non-

polluting chemicals to cause suspended par-

ticles to sink and reduce turbidity was im-

12 M issouri R esources

Campsite 22 in the camp-

ground at Johnsons Shut-

Ins State Park, before and

after the damaging flood

raged through the park.

DNRphotobyJohnBalkenbush

DNRfilephoto


15/28

plemented in the lower reservoir. This effect

was fairly successful. It is anticipated that

increased flow from spring rains will accel-

erate the removal of these particles from the

Black River streambed.

Much of the current work focuses on

streambank stabilization on the East Fork of

the Black River, especially where it passes

through the park. Part of the departments

mission is to protect the aquatic habitat ofthe state. Monitoring the animal and plant

species of the area will continue indefinitely.

Visit [www.dnr.mo.gov] for meeting up-

dates and other progress on the cleanup.

Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park:

Popular DestinationSuffers Devastation

The billion gallons of water that were re-

leased by the reservoir failure flooded John-

sons Shut-Ins State Park, which is located

west of Proffit Mountain. The flooding caused

extensive damage to the area of the park alongthe East Fork of the Black River, where most

of the parks facilities are located.

Facilities that were destroyed included

the campground and the superintendents

residence. Major structures and facilities

that were damaged included the boardwalk

to the shut-ins, the parks water and waste-

water systems, and the park office/store.

Mud and debris covered much of the area,

including the fen, a wetland natural commu-

nity that is a designated Missouri natural

area. In some areas, including the channelof the East Fork of the Black River, the

landscape was completely altered. The shut-

ins, although impacted by sediment and de-

bris, remained essentially intact. A portion

of the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail

between Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park and

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park was dam-

aged and is closed.

As soon as immediate environmental is-

sues were addressed, assessment of the

damage began. This was followed closelyby initial cleanup and recovery work, which

included removing debris and sediment

from the main areas of the park. Soon after,

planning began on long-term recovery and

redevelopment strategies for the park.

The main portion of Johnsons Shut-Ins

State Park remains closed as cleanup efforts

continue. Our goal is to have some servic-

es available sometime this summer, said

Doyle Childers, director of the Department

of Natural Resources. We will work as

quickly as possible but we want to make

sure we do it the right way, he said. Un-fortunately, this means there will not be any

camping services this season.

The Goggins Mountain hiking and

equestrian trail and trailhead, which is lo-

cated in an area of the park that was not

damaged, remains open. All other state

parks and historic sites in the area were un-

damaged and remain open.

For photographs and updates on the parks

status, visit [www.mostateparks.com].

Philip J. Tremblay is assistant editor ofMissouri Resources.

Downstream from the

bridge on Route N, soon

after the reservoir breach,

the East Fork of the Black

River flowed thick and

muddy. Returning the riverwater to its former clear

quality is the top priority for

restoration efforts. Sedi-

ment removal with non-pol-

luting chemicals has been

fairly successful, but addi-

tional improvement is

hoped for as seasonal rains

wash away remnants of the

deluge. In addition to Mis-

souri Department of Natural

Resources staff, state and

federal agencies taking part

in damage assessment and

cleanup activities are: the

Missouri Department of

Transportation, University

of MissouriRolla geolo-

gists and engineers, Mis-

souri Department of Con-

servation, U.S. Geological

Survey geologists and hy-

drologists, Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission

and up to 60 AmerenUE em-ployees and contractors.

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/http://www.mostateparks.com/http://www.mostateparks.com/http://www.dnr.mo.gov/


16/28

Thi rdSa te l l i t e

O f f ic e O p e n s

Communities and

businesses in

Miss ouris Bo otheel

will find environmen-

tal as sistance a few

steps closer as the Missouri

Depa rtment of Natura l Reso urces

open ed its new Delta C enter Sa tellite

Office . S taff of the ne w o ffice will be

housed at the University of Missouris

Delta Resea rch Center, 147 S tate

Hig hwa y T, just s outh o f Po rta g eville.

The D elta C en ter S a tellite Office is

the third satellite office opened by the

dep a rtment in three m onths. New s atel-

N e w Ap p r o a c h

H e lp s S o l v eO l d P ro b l e m s

The Miss ouri Depa rtmen t

of Natural Resources com-

pleted m ore tha n 180 initia l

a ss ista nce visits during thefirst phas e of its new comp lianc e a ss is-

tance initiative, and early results are

promising, according to Department

Direc tor Doyle C hilde rs.

The d epa rtmen t visited 188 la nd d is-

turba nce sites, newly permitted air

sources, drinking water facilities, lime-

stone quarries and hazardous waste

ge nerators tha t receive pe rmits, licens -

es, certifica tions an d registrations from

the agency. Walking permit holders

through their unique permit require-

ments and providing compliance assis-

tance, rather than conducting formal

inspections, is how initial assistance vis-

its work.

The d epa rtmen t focus ed its initia l

assistance efforts on permitted facilities

that ha d n ot received a previous visit or

inspection. Because this was not a for-

mal inspection, compliance assistance

wa s provided with the expecta tion tha t

corrections would be made if any prob-

lems were d isco vered. The d epa rt-

ments visits found no conc erns a t 56perce nt of the fac ilities visited. For the

remaining 44 percent, mos t problems

were o f a n on-critica l nature, a nd the

department provided on-site assistance

to those facilities a bout how to correct

those concerns.

Initia l ass istan ce visits h ave bec ome

standard practice for the Department of

Natural Reso urces . The d epa rtmen t is

surveying the facilities that participated

in the initial phase of the compliance

assistance visits to learn more about

a reas where it can improve its s ervices .

In addition, the department is pursuing

other improveme nts to its pe rmitting

and enforcement proces ses.

Detailed information about the

dep artments proce dures for initia l

assistance visits is available in its Field

Services Division Operations Manual,

which is a vailab le o nline a t

[http ://www.d nr.mo .g ov/service s/op s -

manual.htm].

lite offices were also opene d in

Ma ryville a nd Rolla .

An environmental specialist sta-

tioned at the Delta Center office will

provide facility inspections and other

as sistance to facilities in nea rby coun-

ties , extend ing a nd enh an cing environ-

mental se rvices provided to the region

by the depa rtments So utheas t

Regional Office at Poplar Bluff.

The de pa rtmen ts new Field S ervice s

Division oversee s the a ge ncys five

regional offices, nine satellite offices,

the Environmental Services Prog ram,

Environmental Assistance Office and

other key field activities.

The D elta C enter S a tellite Office sta ff

in Portageville can be contacted at the


M is s o u r i H o ld sN i n t h E n v ir o t h o n

Stude nts from 21 Miss ouri high sc hools c ha l-

lenged one another on their knowledge of the natu-

ral reso urces and the environment d uring the ninth

annual Missouri Envirothon, held at the Rickman

Ce nter in J efferson C ity on May 4,2006.

During the contest, students worked as teams to

conduct hands-on experiments and answer written

questions focusing on soils, aquatics, forestry and

wildlife. They w ere a lso req uired to g ive an o ral pres enta tion a bo ut a current con-

servation issue. This yea rs topic wa s Wa ter Stewa rdship in a Cha nging C lima te.

In Miss ouri, the event ha s g rown unde r the s pons orship of the so il and

wa ter cons ervation d istricts a nd pa rtnering a ge ncies a nd org anizations. The

first Missouri Envirothon was held in 1998, with 10 teams participating. Seven

yea rs la ter, more than 65 tea ms from s even regions c ompete in the event.

The s treng th of the Miss ouri program ena bled the c ommittee to ho st theCa non Envirothon in S pring field in J uly 2005. Stude nts from 43 states an d

seven Ca nad ian provinces ca me to the ca mpus of S outhwest Misso uri State.

The 2005 event was sponso red b y: Ca non U.S.A., Ba ss Pro S hops,

Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Missouri Department of

Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources

Co nse rva tion S ervice , Nationa l Wild Turkey Fede ration, Mrs. Pa t J one s, Tyso n

Foods, West Virginia Canon Envirothon, Missouri Association of Soil and Water

Conservation Districts, National Association of Conservation Districts

P residents Asso ciation, Miss ouri S oil a nd Wa ter Cons ervation District

Employees Association, Orscheln Industries Foundation, Pioneer, University of

Missouri Extension, Missouri Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation

S oc iety, Wa l-Mart, Miss ouri Cha pter o f the Wildlife S oc iety, Mis so uri

Ass ociation o f Professional S oil S cientists, McRobe rts Farm a nd Kempe Farms.Everything we do affects the way we live, said Peggy Lemons, chair of

the Miss ouri Envirothon. The Miss ouri Envirothon is importan t a s it spe a ks to

our lea ders of the next ge neration o f cons erva tionists.
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/services/ops-manual.htmhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/services/ops-manual.htmhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/services/ops-manual.htmhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/services/ops-manual.htmhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/services/ops-manual.htm


17/28

improvements to its drinking water and

wa stewater loa n programs. The g oa l of

the changes is to speed up the revolv-

ing fund loan process.

S co tt Totte n, forme r direc tor of the

Water P rotection a nd S oil Con servation

Division, oversees the ombudsman pro-

g ram. In e a rly 2006, Totten, D epa rtment

Director Doyle C hilders a nd memb ers

of the ombudsmen team met with more

tha n 200 citizen s in 14 co mmunities to

listen to their environmental concerns.

Similar trips are planned for the rest of

the year.

of the S ecretary of Sta tes southwest

region office in S pring field.

The y join forme r leg islato r Don

Summers, Unionville, and Jackson

Bostic, Poplar Bluff, who are ombuds-

men for the northeas t and southeast

regions, resp ectively. Bos tic, who

began with the department in 1989 as a

so il scientist a nd mos t recently w orked

as an environmental emergenc y

respons e c oordinator, repla ces Bill

Foster. Foster will oversee an in-depth

review of the sta te revolving fund a s the

department designs and implements

following address:

Mo. Dep a rtment of Natural Resources

Delta C enter S a tellite Office

P. O. Box 160

Portageville, MO 63873

(573) 379-5431 phone

(573) 379-5875 fa x

O m b u d s m a n P ro g ra mF i ll s F i na l Pos i t i on

Judy K. Bowman, U.S. Rep. Sam

G raves representa tive in C la y Co unty,

has been named as the departments

seventh and final ombudsman. In addi-

tion to working for Graves, Bowman

owns and operates Movin Up Seminars

a nd Training , a profess iona l de velop-

ment training compa ny. S he a lso has

worked in va rious pos itions a s a hea lth

ca re a dministrator and nurse. B owma n

will work out of the departments

Kan sa s City Reg iona l Office.

Micha el Ales a ndrini, former d irector

of environmental affairs for the St. Louis

Regional Chambe r and G rowth

Association (RCGA) is the departments

ombudsman for the St. Louis area.

The purpose o f the omb udsm a n pro-

gra m is to improve c ommunication

between the depa rtment and the com-

munity. Ombudsmen work within the

dep artments regional offices , but op er-a te ind epe nde ntly of the office . They

inform the regional director and the

dep artment director of iss ues, c once rns

and problems and assist in issue devel-

opment for the area.

J im Froelker, G erald, se rves as

omb udsm a n for the depa rtments Rolla

sa tellite office . Da ve Woo lery, Brans on,

and Carrie Smith, Marshfield, will both

serve part-time and share the ombuds-

man duties in the Southwest Regional

Office in Springfield.

Froe lker, w orked for McDonne ll

Doug la s/Bo eing for 35 yea rs a nd

served in the Missouri House of

Repres enta tives from 1989 to 2003.

Woolery, ow ns a n a uction c ompa ny in

Brans on, wo rked for 30 yea rs for

Southwestern Bell and ha s held s everal

pa id and ap pointed pos itions in Tan ey

County, currently s erving a s cha irman

of the Ta ney Co unty Airport Boa rd.

Smith served four years as the director


S m a l l B a t t e rie s F u e l

H a r d - C h a r g i n g Li f e s t y leWe ha ve bec ome a nation unplugg ed. We rely more a nd more on

tools a nd entertainment that a re portab le a nd not hooked to a nearby

electrica l outlet. The po wer for this trend c ome s in sma ll pa ckag es ,

some toxic.

The ba tteries com monly found in cordless pow er tools, cellular a nd co rdles s

phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys can

and should be recycled. Depend ing on the type, they co ntain a lkaline, ca rbon zinc, lithi-

um, ca dmium or mercuric-oxide. If ca reless ly d ispos ed of, they ca n co rrode and lea k

chemicals into groundwa ter or surfac e wa ters.

The nonp rofit Recha rgea ble Ba ttery Rec ycling C orporation (RBRC) recently

announced the collection of almost 5 million pounds of rechargeable batteries in the

U.S. and Canada in 2005, an increase of nearly 10 percent from 2004. Since 1994,

RBRC ha s recyc led more than 20 million po unds o f recha rgea ble ba tteries. RBRC recy-

cles these battery chemistries: Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH),

Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and Small Sealed Lead (Pb) weighing less than 2 lbs. or 1 kg.

Since the beginning of 2005, RBRC has experienced an increase in participation

amo ng national retailers, bus iness es, communities and licens ee recycling programs to

set up convenient drop-off facilities for used rechargeable batteries and cell phones. In

2005, community participation increased 18 percent while public agency participation

increased 38 percent. In many cases, when you go to buy new batteries, you can drop-

off your used, rechargeable ones at the same place. Businesses need no longer pay for

the shipping of recha rgea ble ba tteries and cell phones collected at the wo rkplac e.

Once registered, participants receive a free shipment of

collection boxes that includes pre-paid shipping, pre-

ad dresse d s hipping lab els, sa fety instructions a nd plastic

bag s for each used rechargea ble ba ttery and ce ll phone.

In 2005, RBRC c onducted a survey that found that responde nts

use an average of six cordless products every day, as compared

to thre e in 1999. To lea rn mo re, c a ll 1-877-2-RECYCLE (273-

2925) or go online a t [ww w.c a ll2recy cle.o rg]. To find ba ttery

drop-off sites in your community, check out [www.rbrc.org /

ca ll2recy cle/drop off/index.p hp].
http://www.call2recycle.org/http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.phphttp://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.phphttp://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.phphttp://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.phphttp://www.call2recycle.org/


18/28

both b edrock a nd s urficial materia l

ma ps a re ava ilab le for the Be llflowe r

So uth, J onesb urg, New Florence, and

Pinnacle Lake quadrangles. Mapping

within Montg ome ry, Wa rren a nd Linco ln

counties continues throug hout 2006

and includes surficial mapping in the

Wentzville area for the St. Louis Area

Earthqua ke Haza rds Mapping Project.

To view low res olution versions o f

these ma ps, visit [www.dnr.mo.gov/

geo logy]. For more information, c ontac t

Dolly How ard at the DG LS publica tions

desk at 1-800-361-4827 or (573) 368-

2125. You a re w elcome to visit the

dep a rtments Division of Ge ology a nd

Land Survey at 111 Fairgrounds Road

in Rolla.

D i s t r i c t s R e c e i v eC o n s e r v a t io n Aw a r d s

Missouri Department

of Natura l Resources

Direc tor Doy le Childe rs

has recently honored

five S oil a nd Wa ter

Conservation Districts

(SWCD) that have

N e w G e o lo g i c

M a p s R e le a s e d

The Miss ouri Depa rtmen t of Natural

Resources Division of Geology and

Land Survey (DGLS) has mad e 10 new

geologic maps for portions of

Montgomery, Warren and Lincoln coun-ties a vaila ble in ha rd cop y.

Geologic maps are used in a variety

of applications including industrial and

comm ercial development siting, wa ste

disposal facilities, agriculture, water avail-

a bility, planning, na tural ha za rd eva lua-

tions a nd economic as sess ments of nat-

ura l reso urces. B edrock ma ps identify

the rock units at ground surface and sur-

ficial material maps characterize the type

of sed iment, wea thered rock or transpo rt-

ed material lying on top of the rock units.

Thes e 7.5-minute qua dra ng le

bed rock and surficial materia l maps

continue on-going ma pping projects b y

DG LS . The s tudy area extends from

Wentzville to Fulton, e a st to w es t, an d

Montgo mery City to nea rly High wa y 50,

north to south. Surficial material maps

a re ava ilab le for Hawk Po int and

Wa rrenton Northeas t qua drang les, a nd

ma de significa nt contributions towa rds

the cons ervation of so il an d w a ter dur-

ing the 2005 fiscal year with his Awards

for Outstanding Progress.

Miss ouris 114 soil and wa ter cons er-

vation districts work with agricultural

landowners and the public to conserve

the states so il and w ater resources.

They a re funded by the one -tenth-of-one -

percent parks-and-soils sales tax. All of

the awa rds were granted for work done

betwe en J uly 1, 2004 and J une 30, 2005.

Saline County SWCD assisted agri-

cultural landowners in treating 2,235

ac res with a ctive erosion. Shee t erosion

occ urs when a very thin layer of soil

erodes ; rill erosion occ urs w hen a con-

centrated flow of wa ter ca uses sma ll

cha nnels to de velop. Terra ce sys tems

and diversions were installed, s a ving anaverag e of 35 tons of soil per ac re.

More than 78 thousand tons of

soil were saved in 2005.

St. Cha rles C ounty SWCD

held numerous soil and water

conservation informational meet-

ings an d 10 field da ys, in which

attendance totaled more than

I read yo ur Environmental Notes o n Plas tic S hopping ba g s

in the Winter 2005 ed ition. Looking for an e a sy, e nvironme n-

tal ly respons ible thing to do w ith used plas tic sho pping ba gs ?

Dona te them to your area food pa ntries . The pa ntry at a larg e

church near my home places ca re packag es in them. Donat-

ing ba gs a l lows them to be reused a t lea s t once be fore recy-

cling. I t helps the ne ed y a nd protects the environment.

I beg an d ona ting my us ed b a gs in fal l 2003, after the

churchs pa ntry se nt out a req uest for them. Ask your loca l

food pa ntries if they will acc ept them. You c an find their phone

numbe rs in the telephone direc tory, or by c al ling house s o f

worship, or even so cial services office s in your area . So me

pantries have outdoor col lect ion bins so you ca n dona te any

da y or hour at your convenience.

Pa trick Steec e

P la tte City

The p hoto y ou s elec ted for the co ver of the Winter 2006

issue of Missouri Resourceswa s s o insens it ive i t took my

brea th awa y. The de struction of Busc h Sta dium represe nts

everyth ing tha t a s ta te ag ency d edica ted to the protect ion of

natural and historic resources ought to be against .

As your picture vividly i llustrates, Bus ch S tad ium wa s a n

a rchitectural work of remarkable bea uty, proba bly the bes t

sta dium of its era a nd s ensit ively related to the Ga tewa y Arch.

In ap pea rance i t was vastly superior to the sta dium that is

g oing to replace it . It was so well ma intained that tea ring i t

do wn is a wa ste o f building m ateria ls, no t to mention the orig i-

nal investment.

The new sta dium also represe nts two highly objectiona ble

so cial trends, the us e of pub lic funds to enrich private c orpo-

ra t ions , a nd the widening g ap between r ich a nd poo r seen in

the features o f the new s tad ium that will be s olely for the

wealthy.

Surely we ha ve so mething in Miss ouri

more wo rthy of ce lebration tha n this.

Es ley Ha milton

University C ity

Letters intended for publication should be addressed to Letters, Missouri Resources, P.O. Bo x 176, J efferso n City, MO

65102-0176 or faxed to (573) 522-6262, a ttention: Letters. Plea se include your na me,

add ress a nd da yt ime phone number. Spa ce may require us to ed it your let ter. You a lso ca n e-mai l Missouri

Resourcesstaf f a t [email protected] v

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/geologyhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/geologymailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.dnr.mo.gov/geologyhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/geology


19/28

This 225-mile, sc en ic bicy cle ride w ill

take place J une 19-23.

The five-da y b ike trek w ill a llow

cyclists to experience the entire Katy

Trail S tate Pa rk, w hich takes tra velers

through many of Missouris rural com-

munities, a long side op en fields a nd

between the Missouri River and its bor-

dering bluffs. Bicyclists will Catch the

Ka ty in S t. Cha rles a nd ho p off in

Clinton five d a ys la ter. Da ily milea g e

ranges from 35 to 68 miles.

Pa rticipa tion is limited to 300 pe ople

a nd the d ea dline for reg istration is J une

2. The reg istration fee includes brea k-

fast a nd d inner da ily, outdoo r camp ing

spa ces e ach night, portab le hot show-

ers, gea r shuttle, sa g support, a nd a

Katy Trail Ride t-sh irt an d w a ter bo ttle.

Transp orta tion betwe en S t. Cha rlesa nd C linton on J une 18 or June 23 will

be a vailab le a long with roundtrip trans-

portation from C olumbia to S t. Cha rles

on J une 18 and C linton to Columbia on

J une 23 for an a dd itiona l fee. Day trips

are available for bicyclists that would

like to pa rticipa te in this sc enic ride but

dont have five days to spare.

For more information about the ride

or for an application, call the

Depa rtment of Na tura l Resources toll

free a t 1-800-334-6946 (voice ) or 1-800-

379-2419 (Telec om munica tions De vice

for the Dea f) or visit the Web a t

[www.katytrailstatepark.com].

G r a n t B e n e f it s

M i ss ou r i Tra i l s

Gov. Matt Blunt has

announced that 20 trail

projects in Miss ouri

ha ve received a pproxi-

mately $1.1 million in

funding throug h the

federal Recreational

Trails Prog ram .

The Rec reationa l

Trails P rogra m is a fede rally funde d

grant program for trail-related construc-

tion and maintenance. In Missouri,

Rec rea tiona l Trails P rog ram funds a re

a dministered b y the Miss ouri

Depa rtment of Natural Resources in

coo peration w ith the Fede ral

Highway Administration.

2,000 peo ple. The d istrict a lso g a ve

several classroom presentations, wrote

articles, and attended numerous events

to inform the public of soil and water

conservation issues.

Oregon Co unty SWCD implemented

practices on 3,732 acres: including

intensive grazing systems, permanent

vegetative cover establishments and

improvements. These practices reduce

erosion and improve wa ter qua lity by

increas ing the am ount of qua lity forag e

availab le on g ras slands.

Harrison County SWCD worked with

landowners to implement 67 conserva-

tion p ractices . G rade sta biliza tion struc-

tures , the p rima ry prac tice utilized in the

county, prevents e rosion a nd improves

water quality by creating a shorter

slope and slowing water running overthe land. On average, each structure

sa ves 435 tons of topsoil ea ch ye ar, to

total more than 29,000 tons of topsoil

saved annually.

Webs ter County S WCD wa s recog -

nized for continued progress of an

Agricultural Nonpoint Source Special

Area Land Trea tmen t (Ag NPS S ALT)

project. AgNPS SALTprojects are local-

ly led projects sponsored by the depart-

ment that focus on reducing a gricultura l

nonp oint source pollution. The s even-

year J ames River Headw aters Project

be g a n in 2002. In 2005, work with

landowners implemented erosion con-

trol pra ctices and pa sture and nutrient

mana gement programs, improved

wood land health, protected g roundwa -

ter and stream corridors, and provided

information and education programs.

Kat y Tra i l R ide

D e a d l i n e N e a r s

Grab your bicycle and catch a ride on

the Katy Ka ty Trail S ta te P a rk tha t is!

Applications are now available for bicy-

clists who wo uld like to pa rticipate in Katy

Trail Ride 2006, a ride on the na tions

long es t d eveloped rail-tra il projec t.

Catch the Katy is a weeklong bicy-

cle ride on Ka ty Trail S tate Pa rk from S t.

Ch a rles to C linton . Katy Trail Ride 2006

is sponsored by the Missouri

Department of Natural Resources and

the Miss ouri Sta te Pa rks Founda tion.

The 20 gra nt recipients , cho se n from

56 applications, were selected based

on reco mmend a tions from the Miss ouri

Trails Advisory B oa rd. The g rants we re

aw arded ba sed o n the results of a c om-

petitive sc oring proces s a nd the a ppli-

cations suitability under funding provi-

sions included in the Sa fe,

Acc ounta ble, Flexible, Efficient,

Trans porta tion Eq uity Act: A Lega cy for

Use rs (S AFETEA-LU) a nd other fede ral

guidelines. At lea st a 20 percent ma tch

is required by the applicant. A funding

requirement ta rgets 30 percent of the

funding for motorized trails, 30 percent

for non-motorized trails and 40 percent

for diversified trail use.

For more informa tion a bout the g rant

program, contact the Missouri

Department of Natural Resources at(800) 334-6946 (voice) or (800) 379-

2419 (Telec om mun ica tion s De vice fo r

the Dea f) or ca ll (573) 751-3442.

G o v e r n o r s C a l l f o r

E85 Veh i c l es

G ov. Matt Blunt has

joined governors from

across the country to

recognize automakers

for producing more flex-

ible fuel vehicles a ndca lling on the a uto indus try to step up

production o f even more vehicles that

opera te on 85 percent ethano l or E85.

If we are serious about moving

away from foreign oil suppliers by

increasing ethanol use, the auto indus-

try must c ontinue to s tand with us in

this effort, Blunt said

The c a ll to ste p up prod uction of

E85 vehicles follows a meeting of the

Governors Ethanol Coalition. Coalition

members have presented auto manu-

fac turers w ith a reso lution reiterating

their comme nda tion for the 5 million

vehicles op erating in the United S tates

that are already capable of using E85.

Blunt is c alling on a utomakers to

manufacture more vehicles and models

ca pab le of operating o n E85 and s up-

porting public po licy me as ures that

contribute to a dd ed infras tructure for

the use of E85. Blunt has toured

Missouri to highlight his proposal to

http://www.katytrailstatepark.com/http://www.katytrailstatepark.com/


20/28

Looking for a ne w kind o f ca mping

experience? Try the y urt at Lake of the

Oza rks S tate P a rk nea r Ka iser.

A yurt is a circular structure with a

fabric cover, much like a tent. Its wood-

en frame makes it strong and wea ther-

proof and it sits on a woo den platform

with de cking . It ha s a locking doo r,

three large windows to enjoy the view,

and a dome s kylight that can b e

opened for ventilation.

The y urt in Lake o f the O za rks S tate

Parks campground is located in scenic

woo ded a rea w ith views of the lake. It

features a log futon, log futon bunk

bed , coffee tab le, lamp a nd he ater. The

unit sleeps five with a maximum occu-

pa ncy of six. To p repa re for your expe-

rience, bring everything you would nor-

mally bring to go camping such as

la nterns, c ooking a nd e a ting utensils

an d w ater con tainers. The yurt does

require all gasoline for motor vehicle

use s old in the s tate to co ntain 10 per-

ce nt etha nol (E-10). Minne so ta,

Montana and Hawa ii have a lread y

ena cted an E-10 req uirement.

Blunt included full funding for the

Ethanol Incentive Fund in his proposed

budg et to the G eneral Ass embly. The

budget Blunt signed last year included

the full $5.3 million in fund ing for the

year as well as $2.7 million of the funds

owed from previous years.

Yea rn i ng f o r a Yu r t?

not ha ve running wa ter, so pla n

a cco rdingly. G uests must bring their

own linens a nd sleeping b ag s.

Available to rent year-round at a cost of

$30 plus ta x for one to six occupa nts,

the yurt ca n be reserved by ca lling

1-877-422-6766 or o nline a t

[www.mostateparks.com].

The y urt is pa rt of the c on tinuing

effort by the Depa rtment of Natural

Resources to provide new camping

experiences in Missouri state parks.

Last year, the department began offer-

ing ca mper cab ins in campg rounds in

Ma rk Twa in a nd Stoc kton s tate pa rks.

For news releases on the Web, visit

[www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel]. For a complete list-

ing of the departments upcoming meetings, hear-

ings and events, visit the departments online cal-

endar at [www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do].

Se nd yo ur photo to Time Exposures,

c/o Missouri Resources, P.O. Bo x 176, J ef-

ferso n C ity, MO 65102-0176. All pictures will

be returned via insured m ail. Pre-1970 en-

vironmental and natural resource photos

from Miss ouri will be co nsidered. P lease

try to include the da te and location of the

picture, a brief des cription and a ny related

historic d etails that might b e o f interest to

our readers.


High water has been a multi-seasonal visitor to Cape Girardeaus Mississippi riverfront for many years. A photographer

recorded this view looking downriver on Water Street. While it is uncertain the exact year this photo was taken, the presence

of electric power poles and a horse-drawn wagon in the right foreground indicate a post-1900 scene.

A 7,210-foot-long concrete wall and earthen levee was started in 1954 and completed in 1964, at a cost of $4 million, to pro-

tect downtown Cape Girardeau. From 1844 to 1999, floodwaters higher than 32 feet threatened the city more than 60 times.

The May 1943 flood that prompted the levee construction reached 42.3 feet. In August 1993, the river rose to nearly 48 feet,

but this time protection was in place.

The 345-foot-long Mississippi River Mural, facing the riverfront park, and the 500-foot-long Missouri Wall of Fame Mural now

decorate the concrete portion of the levee. This photo is from the J ames G. Haman Collection.

J

amesG.Hamancollection
http://www.mostateparks.com/http://www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrelhttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.dohttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.dohttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrelhttp://www.mostateparks.com/


21/28

and served a s s ummer game s d irector for the Utah Spe cia l

Olympics. For more informa tion rega rding a cc es sible play ground s

co ntac t Unlimited P lay a t (636)272-1410. To d ona te to the project,

co ntac t Victoria S chm idt at (314) 973-1131.

I n S t . Louis , a s imilar playg round is b eing co nstructed in ForestPa rk, thanks to the g enerosi ty o f severa l individua l donors a ndlea d f inanc ia l donors Dennis and J udi th J ones . The Dennis and

J udi th J ones Var iety Wonde r land fea tures a whee lcha ir-ac ces si-

ble tree ho use , a 34-foot mus ical tower for sig ht-impaired chil-

dren , a ga rden des igne d to a t tract mona rch but ter flies , a low-im-

pa ct teeter-to t ter and swings wi th ba ck suppo r ts . S t . Louis

Variety, a childrens cha rity de dica ted to se rving children w ith

physica l a nd m enta l disab ilit ies in the G reater St . Louis area , d i-

rected the project .

Were hoping that a ll new c ons truction o r play ground renovation

will embrace an inclusive plan so that ALL children, able-bodied

and those w ith disab il it ies , ca n experience playtime tog ether, s a id

J a n Albus, e xecu tive directo r of St. Louis Va riety. Na turally, they

will lea rn ab out a cc epta nce and diversi ty. Through play time, theyll

improve their phys ical streng th while improving so cial skills, se lf-

es teem, co nfidenc e a nd even neg otiation skil ls.

For those who are interested in starting similar projects in their own

co mmunities , Albus offered so me a dvice. The playg round i tse lf

must be a cce ssible , but the loca t ion must a l so be ac ces sible to

parents , Albus emphas ized. Count on a three-year process . Re-

se arch c ommunity and pa rk g uide lines for an inclusive public play-

ground . Then, ma ke certain that you have a d es ign tea m as talent-

ed a s P owe rs Bowe rsox Ass ociates and HOK. Their expertise a nd

co unsel were invaluab le, Albus sa id.

S t. Louis Va riety

nam ed De nnis i ts

2004 Ma n of the Yea r

and Sa int Louis Uni-

versity awarded

Dennis and J udy

ea ch a humanit ies

doc tora te d egree in

1998. Dennis co-

founded OJ F Phar-

ma ce utica ls in 1969

and in 1981 bec am e

founder, cha irman

an d CEO o f J on es

Pha rma. With other

ac ces sible playgrounds a lrea dy b eg inning to appe ar in the St .

Louis reg ion, the J ones hope the co nstruction in Forest P ark will

inspire o thers to g et involved in efforts in their comm unities .

A playg round is s uch a simple c once pt, yet this sta te-of-the-art

playg round will provide therapy, lea rning a nd s ocial developme nt

op portunities for Va riety c hildren, De nnis sa id. Now w hile their

siblings are playing, they ca n join them on the playg round instea d

of s i tt ing and watching or s taying a t home .

Kathy Deters is a public information coordinator for the

Missouri Department of Natural Resources.


A s a n infant, Nata lie Blakemores s on, Zac h, quickly beg anmissing de velopme ntal miles tones. In the midst of numerousdoc tors appo intments to determine the type and e xtent of Zac hs

disabilities, friends invited Natalie and Zach to the park.

I rea lized Zac h couldnt do much, b ut thoug ht he could sw ing in

the ba by s wing, Nata lie sa id. I t only took one pus h to rea lize tha t

even that did not have eno ugh s upport for Za ch. I went home in

tears tha t da y promising ne ver to return to a pa rk a ga in. Thoug h

Natal ie, a n OFallon resident, and Zach, w ho now uses a w a lker,

eventually tr ied other play grounds , they we re always met with the

sa me ba rriers. Zac h is forced to ei ther sit on the side a nd wa tch or

have so meone ca rry h im from place to plac e. Imagine how ma ny

five-yea r-olds c ome up to play whe n your mom is ca rrying you.

During a vaca tion to S terling, Va., in 2002, a relative s ugg es ted tha t

Natal ie a nd Za ch visit a b arrier-free playg round. Natal ie a nd he r

husb and , Todd , q uickly b eca me interes ted in building a simila r

playg round in St . Cha rles Co unty that would provide Unlimited

Play the name of the orga niza tion the Blakemores found ed for

all children, including her son Zach, now five.

After ra ising a pproximate ly $525,000 for the $750,000 pla yg round,

Unlimited P la y, along w ith the Lake S a int Louis Pa rks a nd Rec re-

ation Depa rtment, broke g round on the 22-a cre pa rk. I t includes a

spe cial whee lcha ir-friend ly s urfac e, ramps , B rail le, a wa ter-spray

pa rk and other fea tures .

One o f the mo st important things ab out the playg round is that it

will create a co mmunity within a com munity, whe re children a t a

young a ge ca n learn from eac h other, Nata l ie s a id .

The playg round received funding from the S t. Cha rles C ounty Devel-

opmental Disa bilit ies Resource Boa rd, Lake S aint Louis and a Land

and Wa ter Conse rva tion Fund g rant from the federal go vernment,

which is ad ministered by the Miss ouri Depa rtment of Natural Re-

so urces . They also received funding from Ce nturyTel, Citig roup Inc.,

VFW, Ame rica n Leg ion, Wentz ville Ho lt High S cho ol, the C hristo phe r

Reeve Pa ralysis Foundation a nd s everal other donors. Natal ie a lso

credits the projects success to the participation of the Lake Saint

Louis P arks and Recreation Depa rtment, Unlimited P lays boa rd and

volunteers, and Zachs spee ch therapist , Karena Eoff-Romstad .

Nata lie , who ha s two younge r daughters , Brianna and C as si , has a

deg ree from B righa m Young University in recreation mana g ement

Expand ing Hor izons o f Fun

N e w P la y g r o u n d s S e t In c lu s iv e S t a n d a rd

Zachary Blakemore

ToddBlakemorephoto

Dennis and J udith J ones

Variety Wonderland Playground

WilliamGreenblattphoto


22/28

The names of many famous Mis-

sourians, from all walks of life,adorn buildings, monuments,

lakes, colleges, public lands and parks

throughout the state. Missourians have hon-

ored their favorite writers, artists, politi-

cians, doctors and war heroes in this way to

recognize and pay tribute to their achieve-

ments. Nestled in the rolling hills of north-

ern Missouri near Trenton is Crowder State

Park, named after one such Missouri citizen.

The parks namesake, Maj. Gen. Enoch

Herbert Crowder, was born a few miles

from the park in the hamlet of Edinburg in1859. After attending Grand River College

in Edinburg, he continued his education at

West Point. His military career included ef-

forts to subdue Geronimo and his Apache

band, serving as military governor of the

Philippines and as the first ambassador to

Cuba. He is best remembered as the father

of the selective service. As judge advocate

general, he authored the Selective Service

Act of 1917. This created the system oflocal draft boards that provided three mil-

lion young men to boost the Allies to victo-

ry in World War I. Crowder was recognized

for his knowledge, devotion to duty and

dedication to fairness. The inscription on

his gravestone in Arlington National Ceme-

tery reads, A Military Man Who Under-

stood the Civic Spirit of a Free People.

Today, the park named in his honor

serves as a place for people to relax, recre-

ate and enjoy their freedoms. It is composed

of rugged slopes and stately forests amid aregion of mostly level farmland. The parks

rich glacial soils nurture thick forests of

white oak, northern red oak, hickory and

sugar maple trees. Winding its way through

the park is the Thompson River, which is

named after Dr. William Preston Thompson,

whose residence ruins lie within the park.

Cottonwood, silver maple and river birch

by Jennifer Sieg


23/28

(Above) Crowder State Park features 41 campsites, including two designed specifically for people

with disabilities. Some sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

(Below) Thirty-one of the campsites have electrical hookups for those who enjoy a more conven-

ient camping experience.

trees border the river. The rich bottomlands

are home to stands of cottonwood, hackber-ry, bur oak and slippery elm that shade car-

pets of waterleaf, jewelweed and wood net-

tle. Delicate ferns and lush carpets of

mosses cling to sandstone ledges. Prairie, a

landscape that once dominated the region, is

being restored in areas of the park. The di-

verse landscape attracts many bird species,

including Neotropical migrants such as the

yellow-billed cuckoo, red-eyed vireo, east-

ern wood pewee and acadian flycatcher dur-

ing spring migration.

More than 14 miles of hiking, mountainbiking and equestrian trails allow visitors

the opportunity to experience these natural

features of the park and enjoy solitude.Hike the parks rugged hills or ride your bi-

cycle or horse along the Thompson River.

View a prairie restoration area, the Thomp-

son River, woodlands, bottomland forests,

and the ruins of the Thompson house and

cemetery along park trails. A local trail or-

ganization, the Green Hills Trail Associa-

tion, has assisted the park in the develop-

ment and maintenance of some of the trails.

F

or those wanting a more relaxing day

in the park, the 18-acre Crowder Lakeoffers anglers an opportunity to cast their

lines for channel catfish, largemouth bass,

crappie and bluegill. Lounging on the lakes

sand swimming beach is another laid-back

option for visitors. A bathhouse is available.

Make a day of it and bring along a picnic

lunch to enjoy at one of many secluded pic-

nic sites nestled under lofty trees. Large

groups can reserve one of two open picnic

shelters, one of which overlooks the lake.

The shelters rent for $30 per day or are

available free on a first-come, first-served

basis if they are not reserved. Swings, vol-leyball poles, a paved tennis court and open

space for running make the park a great

place for family gatherings. For $40 per

day, the family gathering can be held in-

doors with the rental of the parks enclosed

shelter, which is equipped with a sink,

stove, refrigerator, restroom, heater and

fireplace. Open Shelter No. 1, the parks

newest shelter, and the enclosed shelter are

accessible to people with disabilities.


GeorgeDennistonphoto


DNR

photobyScottMyers


24/28

Play for more than a day

and sleep under the stars in

the parks campground,

which houses 41 campsites,

31 of which have electric

hookups and two of which

are accessible to people withdisabilities. Camping ameni-

ties include a playground, hot

showers, water, laundry facil-

ities, firewood and a dump

station. Reserve your camp-

ing spot in advance by calling

1-877-ICampMo or online at

[www.mostateparks.com].

First-come, first-served

campsites also are available.

Non-profit youth groups

can reserve the parksspecial-use area for their

next overnight outing. The

area features open space for

tents, picnic tables, fire

rings, a water hydrant and a

vault toilet. Organized youth

groups can also rent the

parks organized group camp.

Camp Grand River accom-

modates up to 120 campers

with six slee

Documents

Missouri Resources - 2006 Summer