MISSOURIresources

Spring / Summer 2006 • Volume 23 • Number 2

Spring holds a special meaning forme because it’s a time for renew-

al. I can’t remember a spring whenthe promise of new life and renewalmeant more to me than it has thisyear. For those of us who stood on thegrounds of Johnson’s Shut-Ins StatePark just hours after the devastationcaused by the by the Dec. 14 breachof the Taum Sauk Reservoir, it washard to believe that it could ever berestored. However, staff membershave been working diligently withAmerenUE and MACTEC, the compa-ny in charge of the cleanup andrestoration. I’m pleased to say that weexpect to provide public access withinterpretive walking, auto loops andpicnic areas in portions of the park byMemorial Day weekend. Only a por-tion of the park will be accessible.Camping will not be available andswimming will not be allowed forsafety reasons. This short-term planwill be in place for this season only.The department’s long-term redevel-opment planning process will contin-ue through this summer.

At public meetings held in Lester-ville, local businesses and residentshave told us that repairing the qualityof the Black River continues to be atop priority. Department staff mem-bers are working with AmerenUE andMACTEC to address this issue aswell. More information about ongo-ing efforts to repair the park andclean up the Black River can be foundin this magazine.

I invite you to take time to visitJohnson’s Shut-Ins after it reopensthis spring. Of course, Johnson’sShut-Ins State Park is part of anaward-winning network of stateparks and state historic sites found innearly every nook and cranny of Mis-souri, and any would make for anideal spring destination and a perfectplace to experience spring’s renewal.

The dedicated,constitutional,one-tenth-of-one-percentparks-and-soilssales tax isevenly dividedbetween stateparks and soiland water con-servation efforts. Parks’ half pro-vides about three-fourths of the divi-sion’s budget for operation anddevelopment of state parks. More in-formation about renewing this taxcan also be found in this issue ofMissouri Resources.

And one last piece of good news:The U.S. Green Building Council(USGBC) recently awarded a Lead-ership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED®) Platinum certifica-tion for the Lewis and Clark StateOffice Building, making it the firststate government building in the na-tion to earn this recognition. Thebuilding, designed by BNIM Archi-tects, joins an elite portfolio of 12 fa-cilities that have earned the highesttier of recognition possible for ener-gy and environmental design excel-lence under version 2.0. It is only thesecond building in Missouri toachieve the USGBC’s highest rating.Check out the fall issue of MissouriResources for more information onthis distinction.

Again, I hope you’ll take a littletime to join us in celebrating nature’srenewal by visiting one of our manystate parks and historic sites. Springis calling.

Doyle Childers

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Spring / Summer 2006Volume 23 • Number 2

State of MissouriGovernor

Matt BluntDirector, Missouri Department

of Natural ResourcesDoyle Childers

Deputy Director, OperationsJeff Staake

Deputy Director, PolicyFloyd Gilzow

Deputy Director, LegalKurt Schaefer

Deputy Director, Water ResourcesMike Wells

Director, Division of State ParksDoug Eiken

Director, Division of Geology and Land Survey

Mimi Garstang

Director, Division of Field ServicesJim Macy

Director, Division of Environmental QualityDan Schuette

Director, Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority

Tom Welch

EditorStuart Westmoreland

Assistant EditorPhilip J. Tremblay

Editorial BoardDenise BeckerKerry CordrayKathy Deters

Dawn FredricksonLina Klein

Connie PattersonKenneth Seeney

Design DirectorBelinda Hughes

Assistant DesignerRuby Wells

PhotographerScott Myers

CirculationJeanne E. Binkley

Mission StatementThe mission of the Department of Natural Resources

is to preserve, protect, restore and enhanceMissouri’s natural, cultural and energy resources and

to inspire their enjoyment and responsible use forpresent and future generations.

MISSOURI RESOURCESis published three times per year by the Missouri

Department of Natural Resources to inform readersabout important natural resource issues and how theyare being addressed. Any correspondence should be

directed to the editor at the Department of NaturalResources, Publications, P. O. Box 176, Jefferson City,

MO 65102-0176, or call 1-800-361-4827. E-mail address: moresdnr@dnr.mo.govMoDNR home page: www.dnr.mo.gov

MISSOURI RESOURCESis available in alternative formats.

As a recipient of federal funds, the Department ofNatural Resources cannot discriminate against any-

one on the basis of race, color, national origin,religion, age, sex, or disability.

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 NaturalResources or the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S.

Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 20240.

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

Liberty, Missouri.

printed on recycled paper

page 2Missouri’s Parks-and-SoilsSales Taxby Sue Holst and Lindsay TempinsonMissouri’s state park system has benefited from a one-tenth-of-one percent sales tax that was first passed in 1984 andrenewed by two-thirds of Missouri voters in 1988 and 1996.Under the tax, Missouri’s topsoil erosion rate has dropped by more than any other state.

page 7Terracing TraditionSaving Soil is a Family Practiceby Lindsay TempinsonFor more than 100 years, the Hopper family has been fightingsoil erosion on their northwest Missouri farm. They are keep-ing soil on their fields with help from the parks-and-soils salestax. These funds help establish practices that reduce erosion.

page 10Unnatural Disasterby Philip J. TremblayOn Dec. 14, 2005, the upper reservoir of AmerenUE’s Taum Sauk hydroelectric facility in Reynolds County ruptured and released more than abillion gallons of water onto a sleeping family and Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park.The family has recovered, but the park and area ecosystem will take years to repair.

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Above right: Muddy water flows down the East Fork of the Black River, near Lesterville, soon after the Taum Sauk Reservoir breach.Above: Summer clouds pass over farmland and livestock near Highway 50, in Pettis County.FRONT COVER: The rocky heart of Proffit Mountain is revealed below the reservoir breach near Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park.BACK COVER: Dogwoods announce the arrival of spring across the Show-Me State.Cover photos by Scott Myers.

14 • News Briefs 23 • Teacher’s NotebookE-Notes, Letters, Career Connection Time Exposures, Resource Honor Roll “Water Protection – A Job for the Ages”

20 • Resources to Explore 25 • One Last WordCrowder State Park Show-Me Mo. State Parks – Katy Trail Challenge

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

2 Missouri Resources

T he Missouri state park system has aproud tradition of preserving and in-terpreting the state’s most outstand-

ing natural landscapes and cultural featureswhile providing recreational opportunities.Since its beginnings in the 1920s, the statepark system has grown to more than140,000 acres in 83 state parks and historicsites and 61,000 acres in the Roger PryorPioneer Backcountry. More than 17 millionpeople annually visit the state park system,which has an overall economic impact inMissouri of $538 million annually.

Because of decreasing funds in the late1970s and early 1980s, the Missouri Depart-ment of Natural Resources state park systemhad begun to deteriorate. In 1984, Missouri-ans passed a one-tenth-of-one-percent salestax 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 thefunding for the state park system, whichdoes not receive any general revenue. “Thesales tax is absolutely essential to maintain-ing our state parks and to the delivery ofquality services to all Missouri citizens andthe visiting public,” says Ron Coleman,president of the Missouri Parks Association.“Without the tax, drastic changes would berequired in the way we manage our statepark system.”

What Has Been Done So Far

Services and Facilities: The key prioritiesfor the funds have been to provide exempla-ry service to park visitors while also main-taining and upgrading facilities to best meetthe needs of those visitors. The Division ofState Parks’ emphasis on quality service hasresulted in over 80 percent of its full-timeand seasonal staff providing service directlyto visitors at state parks and historic sites.This means they are maintaining the parksand sites, upgrading the facilities, assistingvisitors, ensuring the safety of guests andprotecting or interpreting the system’s natu-ral and cultural significance. Despite newinitiatives and additional responsibilities,the number of employees for the state parksystem has remained fairly constant for thepast 10 years.

Additionally, the consistent fundingfrom the sales tax has allowed the divisionto focus on maintaining the current state

parksystem andenhancing fa-cilities and serv-ices where neces-sary and appropriate.Public input is essentialin assisting the division indetermining where improve-ments are needed in the deliveryof services and in the maintenanceof facilities.

Other Efforts: Anotherkey priority has been toimprove the facilitiesin the system’s 40campgrounds. Theseimprovements includeupgrading electricalsites, increasing thenumber of electricalcampsites and renovat-ing showerhouses andrestrooms. Approxi-mately 500 campsiteshave been upgradedwith electricity in thelast two years. In re-sponse to user input, acentralized camp-ground reservation sys-tem was implemented,which makes reservinga campsite easier andmore convenient.

These campgroundimprovements havebeen very popular withcampers. “When we gocamping in state parks,we can see where themoney has been usedand how it benefits us.These new electric sitesand better showerhousesare visible reminders ofhow important the taxis,” says Roger Nier-mann of Florissant.

Niermann, alongwith his wife Debbyand Charles and Kath-leen Hinton of Hazel-wood, were recognizedby the department in2005 as the first 25-

The Missouri State Park system does not receiveany general revenue funding from the state.Three-fourths of the system’s funding comesfrom the parks-and-soils tax. Voters have showntheir support for the operations and improve-ments of Missouri’s parks and historic sites byoverwhelmingly approving the last two renewals.

The Missouri State Park System

Past, Present and Future

by Sue Holst

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Spring/Summer 2006 3

year camper award recipients. As long-timecampers, the Niermanns and Hintons wereusing state parks before the tax was createdin 1984. “When we first started camping instate parks, we had to clear the grass fromthe campsites ourselves before we could setup a tent. Now everything is so much bet-ter,” Niermann relates.

Day-use areas (picnic areas, play-grounds, etc.) have been improved andmore than 240 miles of the system’s 260miles 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 havebeen built or upgraded in approximately 30state parks, ensuring that all environmentalstandards are met and the park’s valuableresources are protected.

The Missouri state park system has be-come a national leader in the efforts tomake 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 DisabilitiesAct so everyone can truly enjoy the statepark 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 weredonated to the system: Morris State Park,which preserves a unique landscape insoutheast Missouri, and Clark’s Hill/NortonState Historic Site, which preserves a hillthat William Clark climbed and noted in hisjournal in 1804. The other site was the Ed-ward “Ted” and Pat Jones-Confluence PointState Park, which includes the confluenceof the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Thissite was the result of several donations,grants and partnerships. A uniqueprivate/public partnership between the de-partment and the L-A-D Foundation is al-lowing public access to 61,000 acres in theRoger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry. These re-cent initiatives continue a trend that morethan 60 percent of Missouri’s state park sys-tem has either been donated or acquired atlittle or no cost through leases.

What Remains to be Done

The main priority for the future will be tomaintain and upgrade the current facilitiesand provide adequate staff to maintain thecurrent level of visitor services. Althoughmuch progress has been made, the park sys-tem continues to need ongoing stewardship,repairs and maintenance.

Sue Holst is division information officer forthe department’s Division of State Parks.

4 Missouri Resources

Eighty percent of MissouriState Parks’ staff provide

service directly to park andhistoric site visitors. This

includes interpretation(above), maintenance and

facility upgrades (aboveright), visitor information

and assistance, and onsitesafety through the park

ranger program.D

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I n the 1930s, Americans realized howdevastating soil erosion could be. Asthe Dust Bowl swept across the nation,

it relocated an estimated 300 million tons ofsoil. Legislation began to take shape to bet-ter manage and conserve our nation’s soil.Despite these actions, in 1982, Missouriwas still losing more soil than any otherstate except Tennessee.

Erosion is a natural process caused bywind and water, but it can increase substan-tially when the landscape is altered withoutappropriate conservation practices in place.As long as it rains, there will be erosion.

“We’re the caretakers of the land and weneed to protect it for future generations,”said Elizabeth Brown, chair of the MissouriSoil and Water Districts Commission.

In 1984, Missouri voters passed the one-tenth-of-one-percent parks-and-soils salestax to help fund soil conservation effortsand state parks. In order to conserve Mis-souri’s soil and water resources for futuregenerations, several voluntary programshave been created to provide agriculturallandowners with incentives for installingsoil and water conservation practices.

The Soil and Water Districts Commis-sion, through the Missouri Department ofNatural Resources, administers the soilfunds from the parks-and-soils sales tax, aswell as the programs the tax supports, toMissouri’s 114 county soil and water con-servation districts. Each district works withlandowners at the local level to decreasesoil erosion and improve water quality. Inorder to provide these services, each districtreceives 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, Missouri’ssoil erosion rates have dropped by morethan half. According to the last availabledata, the 1997 Natural Resources Inventory,Missouri’s erosion rates have dropped morethan any other state.

“Ero-sion is anongoingprocess. I don’tknow if you’ll everget your land a hun-dred percent erosionfree,” said Richard Lier-heimer, an Audrain Countylandowner. During a big rainevent, soil can be lost and “you canlose in a matter of a few hours what ittakes hundreds of yearsto get back,” Lier-heimer added. The hillytopography, soil typesand amount of rainfallin Missouri make thestate prone to erosion.

“They’ve [soil andwater conservation pro-grams] helped us dosome things we would-n’t otherwise be able todo,” said Lierheimer.Incentives from theCost-Share Programhave helped Lierheimerinstall terraces and wa-terways that reduceerosion on his farm.

The Cost-Share Pro-gram provides incen-tives for agriculturallandowners to installpractices that prevent orcontrol excess erosion.Landowners can re-quest a reimbursementfor up to 75 percent ofthe cost of a practice.The practice first mustgo through a through acertification processand a maintenanceagreement must be

(Above) Missouri’s one-tenth-of-one-percentparks-and-soils-sales tax helps local soil andwater conservation districts fund and staff edu-cational days across the state. To help illus-trate how easily valuable topsoil can bewashed away, one ton of soil spread across anentire football field would only be the thicknessof a dime. (Left) Since 1982, Missouri has cut its per-acrerate of soil erosion by more than half – the bestimprovement in the nation.

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Soil and Water Conservation

Critical to Missouri

by Lindsay Tempinson

*

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

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Spring/Summer 2006 5

signed. Prior to installation, landownersmust contact their local soil and water con-servation district and work with the NaturalResources Conservation Service to designthe practice.

Programs such as the Cost-Share Pro-gram have helped reduce erosion rates inthe state by more than half, but it is not theonly program helping Missouri landownersconserve soil and water. The AgriculturalNonpoint Source Special Area Land Treat-ment Program (AgNPS SALT) funds five-toseven-year projects that focus on decreasingagricultural nonpoint source pollution intargeted watersheds. The AgNPS SALT Pro-gram uses total resource management prac-tices to decrease sediments, nutrients, pesti-cides and other chemicals enteringwaterways. More than 70 watershed proj-ects have received funding and assistancesince the program’s creation in 1997, and 11of 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 reduceerosion 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 tothe public at no charge. The section alsoprovides technical soils assistance tolandowners. The survey can be accessed at[http://soils.missouri.edu].

Soil and Water Districts CommissionerRichard Fordyce said, “As a farmer, I see

firsthand the improvements we’ve put inplace with the sales tax, but obviouslythere’s more work to be done.”

Erosion washes away productive topsoil,leading to decreased productivity of ourland. The food that we eat and Missouri’s$4.97 billion agricultural industry dependon productive soil. Of Missouri’s 44.6 mil-lion acres of land, 26.3 million acres areconsidered agricultural. Cultivated croplandcomprise 10.5 million of those acres; 14.2million acres are dedicated to pasture andhay land; and 1.6 million acres are Conser-vation Reserve Program land.

Erosion not only negatively affects theproductivity of the land, it affects the quali-ty of the water. When soil erodes, it washesinto streams, rivers and lakes. Sedimentcontinues to be the leading cause of waterpollution in Missouri. Sediment can lead tothe destruction of valuable aquatic habitat,such as fish spawning areas. It also increas-es the probability of flooding. Suspendedsoil particles in the water also decreaseclarity and sediment carries chemicals andunwanted nutrients directly into Missouri’swaterways.

“Keeping chemicals and soil out of thewater protects our health and gives us cleanwater to drink,” said Brown. Having to re-move unsafe chemicals from our waterwaysalso can add millions of dollars each year towater treatment costs.

T hrough conservation practices, BillAmbrose, a Miller County farmer and

rancher, has decreased the amount of sediment and chemicals entering thestream that flows past his farm, improvingwater quality.

“I hope people in the city realize that thewater that ends up in their water supply iscleaner and healthier from the very begin-ning,” said Ambrose. He has planted treesand shrubs around riparian areas to act asbuffers, built fences to exclude cattle fromthe stream, and implemented an intensivegrazing system.

“The parks-and-soils sales tax allows usto install conservation practices on the land.Landowners would not have had the incen-tives and been able to install the practices ifnot for the tax,” said Brown.

Lindsay Tempinson is a public informationspecialist for the department’s Soil andWater Conservation Program.

6 Missouri Resources

More than half of Mis-souri’s land acreage is con-sidered agricultural. With a$4.97 billion agricultural in-

dustry in the state, it is nowonder that a successful

soil conservation effort isworth its weight in gold to

our economy.

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S teve Hopper and his family havebeen fighting a never-endingbattle with soil erosion on their

northwest Missouri farm for more than 100hundred years.

Hopper Farms is located a few milesnorth of Chillicothe. Hopper, who receiveda degree in animal husbandry from the Uni-versity of Missouri-Columbia, operates thefarm with his daughter and son-in-law. Theyraise cattle and row crops, such as corn andsoybeans, on the 1,600-acre farm.

Conservation has played a vital role onHopper Farms since the farm’s creation.The family has two theories on farming. “Inthe Hopper family, we don’t give land toanybody who hasn’t farmed here. We don’tbelieve in absentee owners because theydon’t take care of it [the land],” said Hop-per. “And when you die, your ground oughtto be in better shape than it was when youacquired 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 waterand wind. However, this process can be ac-celerated when humans alter the landscapethrough activities such as agriculture anddevelopment. By decreasing erosion theproductive topsoil necessary to produce ourfood stays on the land, and does not pollutethe water.

The Soil and Water Districts Commis-sion, through the Missouri Department ofNatural Resources, administers funds fromthe parks-and-soils sales tax to Missouri’ssoil and water conservation districts. Inturn, they provide landowners with incen-tives for installing soil and water conserva-tion practices. These practices help preventerosion and improve water quality.

“You keep the dirt on the hills so yourgrandkids can eat as well as you did, andkeep soil out of the drinking water of thosedownstream,” Hopper says. Slowing the

Spring / Summer 2006 7

by Lindsay Tempinson

Steve Hopper, of HopperFarms, near Chillicothe, be-lieves his family portraitshould include a place fortraditional soil conservationpractices. This concerncrosses several genera-tions of the Hopper Familyand helps keep soil on thefields that provide the fami-ly’s livelihood.

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speed at which rain washes over the landand planting trees, shrubs and grasses helpthe ground absorb water, decreasing erosion.

Waterways, terraces, buffer strips andno-till planting are a few of the conserva-tion practices used on Hopper Farms. “Inone way or another, even through rotationor through mechanical practices, we’vebeen doing conservation on this place for125 years,” Hopper said. Hopper’s great-grandfather bought the first parcels of landin 1883 that would become Hopper Farms.

Hopper added, “For almost 60 years theonly thing we did on this place was rotatecrops and livestock.” For three years theywould grow crops in a field, then convert it

to pasture for 10 years. This reduced thenumber 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 cropresidue on the ground, decreasing erosion.

I n 1938, when Hopper was a child, theSoil Conservation Service, now the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS), designed concrete weirs, and theCivilian Conservation Corps installed them.The weirs, or soil-saving dams, as Hopperrefers to them, slow down water comingfrom a terrace system. They also create astable 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 thateven with upkeep and maintenance, terracesgradually get worked down and waterwayseventually deteriorate.

“I’ve got terraces down there that are 50or 60 years old,” said Hopper. In the 1940s,Hopper and his father, a county extensionagent, began terracing the farm. Theprocess was much more difficult than today.Using a level, a grader and a dull ax with apiece of paper folded over the blade to markthe grade, they terraced more than 400 acresin 10 years.

“It took us a while but we made terracesthat way,” Hopper added.

8 Missouri Resources

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(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 furtherslows water runoff and pro-

tects long, gradual slopesfrom soil erosion.

In appearance, a ter-race is similar to astaircase. A terrace is amound of soil thatspans the length of afield. By building sev-eral terraces in a field,the length of the slopeis shortened. A fieldwith a long slope al-lows water to flowquickly over it, erodingthe soil. When the fieldis broken into severalsections with smallerslope lengths it slowsthe water, decreasingerosion. These struc-tures are built to reduceerosion on cropland.

“By the mid-fifties,the University of Mis-souri Extension waspushing terraces prettyhard, having field days, demonstrating anew terrace-making machine, the whirlwindterracer,” Hopper said. Still, few landown-ers built terraces. Hopper says all that beganto change in the 1980s due to the develop-ment of incentives and programs at stateand federal levels, such as the state’s Cost-Share Program, intended to help landownersinstall conservation practices on their land.

Hopper is still installing terraces on hisfarm, only now they are built with a dozerand a grader. “Now we’re going the tile out-let route.” A tile outlet terrace was installedin one of his fields in December 2005. Ac-cording to Hopper, the field was originallyterraced more than 50 years ago. About 20to 25 years ago, grass filter strips wereadded to the field. Tile outlet terraces divertwater to where he wants it, and Hopper feelsthat they are more beneficial for his farm.

I n 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 inorder to start the process. Only then can thebuilding process can begin.

A tile system is built by digging trenchesand placing drainage tile and plastic tubingwith tiny drainage holes in the trench, andburying it. A riser connects the tile to thesurface, and is usually covered with a grateto keep animals out. The terrace is thenbuilt, which directs water into the riser. The

water then flows through the tile to an out-let, instead of over the land. Hopper saysthat once a terrace is built, maintenance isnecessary to keep it working properly.

“We signed a statement saying we’dmaintain these practices for 10 years; we tryto make them last 20,” Hopper added. “Endof 20 years, generally something is wrong –[terrace] tubes plug up or water is cuttingsomewhere it shouldn’t.”

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 bufferstrips on about 50 acres, and said that he hasplanted more than 12,000 trees on the farm.He also has 400 acres enrolled in theUSDA’s 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 hardwork, Hopper has been able to prevent soilerosion and improve water quality.

“By helping ourselves, we benefit ourneighbors. I guess that’s a simple way to putit. If we do it right and we treat our groundproperly, and all the ground around us,we’ll have clean water and plentiful topsoilfor the next year’s crop.”

Lindsay Tempinson is a public informationspecialist for the department’s Soil andWater Conservation Program.

Spring / Summer 2006 9

A “soil-saving dam,” con-structed on Hopper Farmsin the late 1930s, slowedwater coming off the terracesystem. The concrete weirswere once the frontline de-fense against soil erosion.Today, the job is better han-dled by buried plastic pipeand tile drainage systems.

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10 Missouri Resources

In less than 15 minutes, more than a billion gallons of water blast-ed through a ruptured reservoir wall and scoured a path tobedrock 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 damagedMissouri’s popular Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.

Media quoted paramedic Chris Hoover at the scene: “We’ll neversee anything like it in our lifetime again.”

Sometime before 5:20 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2005, a 600-foot long breachof 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 TaumSauk Mountain, in western Iron County, Missouri’s highest point.

At 5:12 a.m., according to AmerenUE sources, gauges at thecompany’s main hydropower plant at the

Lake of the Ozarks showed theupper reservoir pumped full

– to a depth of 90 feet.

At 5:24 a.m.,those same gauges showed the

water level in the reservoir haddropped 70 feet.At approximately 5:20 a.m., an esti-

mated 20-foot wall of water reached thebottom 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 theBlack 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

Spring / Summer 2006 11

story by Philip J. Tremblayphotograph by Scott Myers

swept straight across the streambank, goug-ing out a scour hole and then splitting as itrushed up a hill near the park entrance andthe superintendent’s home. Much of thewater then sped back toward the riverbedand the lower reservoir as the remainderwent into the park.

By 5:25 a.m., the wall of water hadwashed the Toops family from their bedsand pushed them several hundred yardsamong uprooted trees and mud. Volunteerfirefighters from nearby Lesterville foundthem within 90 minutes, 500 yards fromtheir destroyed home. Shocked but alive,they were rushed to hospitals and treated for

hypothermia andminor injuries.

As it swept into thepark, the water alsopushed an emptyflatbed tractor-trailer

from Route N near the park entrance anddestroyed or damaged a barn, a tractor, ahay-baler and other equipment at a nearbyfarm. The debris-laden water continuedthrough the park and downstream about twomiles 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 floodnever reached the town.

Union Electric Co., the forerunner ofAmerenUE, built its Taum Sauk Hydroelec-

tric Plant on Proffit Mountain in 1963 toprovide electricity during times of peak de-mand. The 55-acre hilltop reservoir, built ofa concrete-lined wall of crushed rock, couldhold 1.5 billion gallons of water to a maxi-mum depth of 90 feet.

The system generated electricity as waterdropped 800 feet down a 7,000-foot tunnelthrough turbines and then into a 380-acrelower reservoir on the East Fork of theBlack River. At night, when electricity de-mand is low, AmerenUE pumped the waterback up the mountain again.

It was during the routine pump-back stagethat something went wrong. AmerenUE offi-cials suspect that the automatic pumping sys-tem didn’t shut off when it filled the upperreservoir. Apparently, the resulting spillovergradually eroded and then suddenly collapseda V-shaped, 600-foot section of the wall. Anevent that was over in barely 30 minutes hadset into motion a project that would requireyears, if not decades, to complete.

Greg Combs, a field operations managerfor the Department of Natural Resources,said in early February that 60 people wereworking full time to recover the park, mostemployed by AmerenUE. The recovery teamhad removed more than 4,800 dump-truckloads of sediment. Also, 1,750 truckloads ofdead trees were removed from the park andtaken to a grinder or burned, said JacksonBostic, emergency response coordinator forthe department. More than 1,300 loads ofmulch were ground from the debris.

Bostic said, “We worked first to stabilizethe river banks and remove debris from thechannel. We restored the Johnston Ceme-tery to its prior condition. Almost all dam-age assessments were done by mid-Janu-ary,” he said. Once immediateenvironmental 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 Riverall the way down to Clearwater Lake. A lotof 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 ofsediment when their customers arrive forthis season.

Regular public meetings have confirmedthat water quality in the Black River is apriority to area residents. The use of non-polluting chemicals to cause suspended par-ticles to sink and reduce turbidity was im-

12 Missouri Resources

Campsite 22 in the camp-ground at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, before and

after the damaging floodraged through the park.

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plemented in the lower reservoir. This effectwas fairly successful. It is anticipated thatincreased flow from spring rains will accel-erate the removal of these particles from theBlack River streambed.

Much of the current work focuses onstreambank stabilization on the East Fork ofthe Black River, especially where it passesthrough the park. Part of the department’smission is to protect the aquatic habitat ofthe state. Monitoring the animal and plantspecies of the area will continue indefinitely.

Visit [www.dnr.mo.gov] for meeting up-dates and other progress on the cleanup.

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The billion gallons of water that were re-leased by the reservoir failure flooded John-son’s Shut-Ins State Park, which is locatedwest of Proffit Mountain. The flooding causedextensive damage to the area of the park alongthe East Fork of the Black River, where mostof the park’s facilities are located.

Facilities that were destroyed includedthe campground and the superintendent’sresidence. Major structures and facilitiesthat were damaged included the boardwalkto the shut-ins, the park’s 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 naturalarea. 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 portionof the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trailbetween Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park andTaum Sauk Mountain State Park was dam-aged and is closed.

As soon as immediate environmental is-sues were addressed, assessment of thedamage began. This was followed closelyby initial cleanup and recovery work, whichincluded removing debris and sedimentfrom the main areas of the park. Soon after,planning began on long-term recovery andredevelopment strategies for the park.

The main portion of Johnson’s Shut-InsState Park remains closed as cleanup effortscontinue. “Our goal is to have some servic-es available sometime this summer,” saidDoyle Childers, director of the Departmentof Natural Resources. “We will work asquickly as possible but we want to makesure we do it the right way,” he said. “Un-fortunately, this means there will not be anycamping services this season.”

The Goggins Mountain hiking andequestrian trail and trailhead, which is lo-cated in an area of the park that was notdamaged, remains open. All other stateparks and historic sites in the area were un-damaged and remain open.

For photographs and updates on the park’sstatus, visit [www.mostateparks.com].

Philip J. Tremblay is assistant editor ofMissouri Resources.

Downstream from thebridge on Route N, soonafter the reservoir breach,the East Fork of the BlackRiver flowed thick andmuddy. Returning the riverwater to its former clearquality is the top priority forrestoration efforts. Sedi-ment removal with non-pol-luting chemicals has beenfairly successful, but addi-tional improvement ishoped for as seasonal rainswash away remnants of thedeluge. In addition to Mis-souri Department of NaturalResources staff, state andfederal agencies taking partin damage assessment andcleanup activities are: theMissouri Department ofTransportation, Universityof Missouri–Rolla geolo-gists and engineers, Mis-souri Department of Con-servation, U.S. GeologicalSurvey geologists and hy-drologists, Federal EnergyRegulatory Commissionand up to 60 AmerenUE em-ployees and contractors.

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Third SatelliteOffice Opens

Communities andbusinesses inMissouri’s Bootheelwill find environmen-tal assistance a few

steps closer as the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resourcesopened its new Delta Center SatelliteOffice. Staff of the new office will behoused at the University of Missouri’sDelta Research Center, 147 StateHighway T, just south of Portageville.

The Delta Center Satellite Office isthe third satellite office opened by thedepartment in three months. New satel-

New ApproachHelps Solve Old Problems

The Missouri Departmentof Natural Resources com-pleted more than 180 initialassistance visits during the

first phase of its new compliance assis-tance initiative, and early results arepromising, according to DepartmentDirector Doyle Childers.

The department visited 188 land dis-turbance sites, newly permitted airsources, drinking water facilities, lime-stone quarries and hazardous wastegenerators that receive permits, licens-es, certifications and registrations fromthe agency. Walking permit holdersthrough their unique permit require-ments and providing compliance assis-tance, rather than conducting formalinspections, is how initial assistance vis-its work.

The department focused its initialassistance efforts on permitted facilitiesthat had not received a previous visit orinspection. Because this was not a for-mal inspection, compliance assistancewas provided with the expectation thatcorrections would be made if any prob-lems were discovered. The depart-ment’s visits found no concerns at 56percent of the facilities visited. For theremaining 44 percent, most problemswere of a non-critical nature, and thedepartment provided on-site assistanceto those facilities about how to correctthose concerns.

Initial assistance visits have becomestandard practice for the Department ofNatural Resources. The department issurveying the facilities that participatedin the initial phase of the complianceassistance visits to learn more aboutareas where it can improve its services.In addition, the department is pursuingother improvements to its permittingand enforcement processes.

Detailed information about thedepartment’s procedures for initialassistance visits is available in its FieldServices Division Operations Manual,which is available online at[http://www.dnr.mo.gov/services/ops-manual.htm].

lite offices were also opened inMaryville and Rolla.

An environmental specialist sta-tioned at the Delta Center office willprovide facility inspections and otherassistance to facilities in nearby coun-ties, extending and enhancing environ-mental services provided to the regionby the department’s SoutheastRegional Office at Poplar Bluff.

The department’s new Field ServicesDivision oversees the agency’s fiveregional offices, nine satellite offices,the Environmental Services Program,Environmental Assistance Office andother key field activities.

The Delta Center Satellite Office staffin Portageville can be contacted at the

14 Missouri Resources

Missouri Holds Ninth Envirothon

Students from 21 Missouri high schools chal-lenged one another on their knowledge of the natu-ral resources and the environment during the ninthannual Missouri Envirothon, held at the RickmanCenter in Jefferson City on May 4,2006.

During the contest, students worked as teams toconduct hands-on experiments and answer writtenquestions focusing on soils, aquatics, forestry and

wildlife. They were also required to give an oral presentation about a current con-servation issue. This year’s topic was Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate.

In Missouri, the event has grown under the sponsorship of the soil andwater conservation districts and partnering agencies and organizations. Thefirst Missouri Envirothon was held in 1998, with 10 teams participating. Sevenyears later, more than 65 teams from seven regions compete in the event.

The strength of the Missouri program enabled the committee to host theCanon Envirothon in Springfield in July 2005. Students from 43 states andseven Canadian provinces came to the campus of Southwest Missouri State.

The 2005 event was sponsored by: Canon U.S.A., Bass Pro Shops,Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Missouri Department ofConservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Natural ResourcesConservation Service, National Wild Turkey Federation, Mrs. Pat Jones, TysonFoods, West Virginia Canon Envirothon, Missouri Association of Soil and WaterConservation Districts, National Association of Conservation DistrictsPresident’s Association, Missouri Soil and Water Conservation DistrictEmployees Association, Orscheln Industries Foundation, Pioneer, University ofMissouri Extension, Missouri Chapter of the Soil and Water ConservationSociety, Wal-Mart, Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society, MissouriAssociation of Professional Soil Scientists, McRoberts Farm and Kempe Farms.

“Everything we do affects the way we live,” said Peggy Lemons, chair ofthe Missouri Envirothon. “The Missouri Envirothon is important as it speaks toour leaders of the next generation of conservationists.”

improvements to its drinking water andwastewater loan programs. The goal ofthe changes is to speed up the revolv-ing fund loan process.

Scott Totten, former director of theWater Protection and Soil ConservationDivision, oversees the ombudsman pro-gram. In early 2006, Totten, DepartmentDirector Doyle Childers and membersof the ombudsmen team met with morethan 200 citizens in 14 communities tolisten to their environmental concerns.Similar trips are planned for the rest ofthe year.

of the Secretary of State’s southwestregion office in Springfield.

They join former legislator DonSummers, Unionville, and JacksonBostic, Poplar Bluff, who are ombuds-men for the northeast and southeastregions, respectively. Bostic, whobegan with the department in 1989 as asoil scientist and most recently workedas an environmental emergencyresponse coordinator, replaces BillFoster. Foster will oversee an in-depthreview of the state revolving fund as thedepartment designs and implements

following address: Mo. Department of Natural ResourcesDelta Center Satellite OfficeP. O. Box 160Portageville, MO 63873(573) 379-5431 phone(573) 379-5875 fax

Ombudsman Program Fills Final Position

Judy K. Bowman, U.S. Rep. SamGraves’ representative in Clay County,has been named as the department’sseventh and final ombudsman. In addi-tion to working for Graves, Bowmanowns and operates Movin’ Up Seminarsand Training, a professional develop-ment training company. She also hasworked in various positions as a healthcare administrator and nurse. Bowmanwill work out of the department’sKansas City Regional Office.

Michael Alesandrini, former directorof environmental affairs for the St. LouisRegional Chamber and GrowthAssociation (RCGA) is the department’sombudsman for the St. Louis area.

The purpose of the ombudsman pro-gram is to improve communicationbetween the department and the com-munity. Ombudsmen work within thedepartment’s regional offices, but oper-ate independently of the office. Theyinform the regional director and thedepartment director of issues, concernsand problems and assist in issue devel-opment for the area.

Jim Froelker, Gerald, serves asombudsman for the department’s Rollasatellite office. Dave Woolery, Branson,and Carrie Smith, Marshfield, will bothserve part-time and share the ombuds-man duties in the Southwest RegionalOffice in Springfield.

Froelker, worked for McDonnellDouglas/Boeing for 35 years andserved in the Missouri House ofRepresentatives from 1989 to 2003.Woolery, owns an auction company inBranson, worked for 30 years forSouthwestern Bell and has held severalpaid and appointed positions in TaneyCounty, currently serving as chairmanof the Taney County Airport Board.Smith served four years as the director

Spring / Summer 2006 15

Small Batteries Fuel Hard-Charging Lifestyle

We have become a nation unplugged. We rely more and more ontools and entertainment that are portable and not hooked to a nearbyelectrical outlet. The power for this trend comes in small packages,some toxic.

The batteries commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordlessphones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys canand should be recycled. Depending on the type, they contain alkaline, carbon zinc, lithi-um, cadmium or mercuric-oxide. If carelessly disposed of, they can corrode and leakchemicals into groundwater or surface waters.

The nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) recentlyannounced the collection of almost 5 million pounds of rechargeable batteries in theU.S. and Canada in 2005, an increase of nearly 10 percent from 2004. Since 1994,RBRC has recycled more than 20 million pounds of rechargeable batteries. 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 participationamong national retailers, businesses, communities and licensee recycling programs toset up convenient drop-off facilities for used rechargeable batteries and cell phones. In2005, community participation increased 18 percent while public agency participationincreased 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 forthe shipping of rechargeable batteries and cell phones collected at the workplace.Once registered, participants receive a free shipment ofcollection boxes that includes pre-paid shipping, pre-addressed shipping labels, safety instructions and plasticbags for each used rechargeable battery and cell phone.

In 2005, RBRC conducted a survey that found that respondentsuse an average of six cordless products every day, as comparedto three in 1999. To learn more, call 1-877-2-RECYCLE (273-2925) or go online at [www.call2recycle.org]. To find batterydrop-off sites in your community, check out [www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.php].

both bedrock and surficial materialmaps are available for the BellflowerSouth, Jonesburg, New Florence, andPinnacle Lake quadrangles. Mappingwithin Montgomery, Warren and Lincolncounties continues throughout 2006and includes surficial mapping in theWentzville area for the St. Louis AreaEarthquake Hazards Mapping Project.

To view low resolution versions ofthese maps, visit [www.dnr.mo.gov/geology]. For more information, contactDolly Howard at the DGLS publicationsdesk at 1-800-361-4827 or (573) 368-2125. You are welcome to visit thedepartment’s Division of Geology andLand Survey at 111 Fairgrounds Roadin Rolla.

Districts Receive Conservation Awards

Missouri Departmentof Natural ResourcesDirector Doyle Childershas recently honoredfive Soil and WaterConservation Districts(SWCD) that have

New GeologicMaps Released

The Missouri Department of NaturalResources’ Division of Geology andLand Survey (DGLS) has made 10 newgeologic maps for portions ofMontgomery, Warren and Lincoln coun-ties available in hard copy.

Geologic maps are used in a varietyof applications including industrial andcommercial development siting, wastedisposal facilities, agriculture, water avail-ability, planning, natural hazard evalua-tions and economic assessments of nat-ural resources. Bedrock maps identifythe rock units at ground surface and sur-ficial material maps characterize the typeof sediment, weathered rock or transport-ed material lying on top of the rock units.

These 7.5-minute quadranglebedrock and surficial material mapscontinue on-going mapping projects byDGLS. The study area extends fromWentzville to Fulton, east to west, andMontgomery City to nearly Highway 50,north to south. Surficial material mapsare available for Hawk Point andWarrenton Northeast quadrangles, and

made significant contributions towardsthe conservation of soil and water dur-ing the 2005 fiscal year with his Awardsfor Outstanding Progress.

Missouri’s 114 soil and water conser-vation districts work with agriculturallandowners and the public to conservethe state’s soil and water resources.They are funded by the one-tenth-of-one-percent parks-and-soils sales tax. All ofthe awards were granted for work donebetween July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2005.

Saline County SWCD assisted agri-cultural landowners in treating 2,235acres with active erosion. Sheet erosionoccurs when a very thin layer of soilerodes; rill erosion occurs when a con-centrated flow of water causes smallchannels to develop. Terrace systemsand diversions were installed, saving anaverage of 35 tons of soil per acre.

More than 78 thousand tons ofsoil were saved in 2005.

St. Charles County SWCDheld numerous soil and waterconservation informational meet-ings and 10 field days, in whichattendance totaled more than

I read your Environmental Notes on Plastic Shopping bagsin the Winter 2005 edition. Looking for an easy, environmen-tally responsible thing to do with used plastic shopping bags?Donate them to your area food pantries. The pantry at a largechurch near my home places “care packages” in them. Donat-ing bags allows them to be reused at least once before recy-cling. It helps the needy and protects the environment.

I began donating my used bags in fall 2003, after thechurch’s pantry sent out a request for them. Ask your localfood pantries if they will accept them. You can find their phonenumbers in the telephone directory, or by calling houses ofworship, or even social services offices in your area. Somepantries have outdoor collection bins so you can donate anyday or hour – at your convenience.

Patrick SteecePlatte City

The photo you selected for the cover of the Winter 2006issue of Missouri Resources was so insensitive it took my

breath away. The destruction of Busch Stadium representseverything that a state agency dedicated to the protection ofnatural and historic resources ought to be against.

As your picture vividly illustrates, Busch Stadium was anarchitectural work of remarkable beauty, probably the beststadium of its era and sensitively related to the Gateway Arch.In appearance it was vastly superior to the stadium that isgoing to replace it. It was so well maintained that tearing itdown is a waste of building materials, not to mention the origi-nal investment.

The new stadium also represents two highly objectionablesocial trends, the use of public funds to enrich private corpo-rations, and the widening gap between rich and poor seen inthe features of the new stadium that will be solely for thewealthy.

Surely we have something in Missourimore worthy of celebration than this.

Esley HamiltonUniversity City

Letters intended for publication should be addressed to “Letters,” Missouri Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO65102-0176 or faxed to (573) 522-6262, attention: “Letters.” Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Space may require us to edit your letter. You also can e-mail Missouri Resources staff at moresdnr@dnr.mo.gov

16 Missouri Resources

This 225-mile, scenic bicycle ride willtake place June 19-23.

The five-day bike trek will allowcyclists to experience the entire KatyTrail State Park, which takes travelersthrough many of Missouri’s rural com-munities, alongside open fields andbetween the Missouri River and its bor-dering bluffs. Bicyclists will “Catch theKaty” in St. Charles and hop off inClinton five days later. Daily mileageranges from 35 to 68 miles.

Participation is limited to 300 peopleand the deadline for registration is June2. The registration fee includes break-fast and dinner daily, outdoor campingspaces each night, portable hot show-ers, gear shuttle, sag support, and aKaty Trail Ride t-shirt and water bottle.

Transportation between St. Charlesand Clinton on June 18 or June 23 willbe available along with roundtrip trans-portation from Columbia to St. Charleson June 18 and Clinton to Columbia onJune 23 for an additional fee. Day tripsare available for bicyclists that wouldlike to participate in this scenic ride butdon’t have five days to spare.

For more information about the rideor for an application, call theDepartment of Natural Resources tollfree at 1-800-334-6946 (voice) or 1-800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Devicefor the Deaf) or visit the Web at[www.katytrailstatepark.com].

Grant BenefitsMissouri Trails

Gov. Matt Blunt hasannounced that 20 trailprojects in Missourihave received approxi-mately $1.1 million infunding through thefederal RecreationalTrails Program.

The RecreationalTrails Program is a federally fundedgrant program for trail-related construc-tion and maintenance. In Missouri,Recreational Trails Program funds areadministered by the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources incooperation with the Federal Highway Administration.

2,000 people. The district also gaveseveral classroom presentations, wrotearticles, and attended numerous eventsto inform the public of soil and waterconservation issues.

Oregon County SWCD implementedpractices on 3,732 acres: includingintensive grazing systems, permanentvegetative cover establishments andimprovements. These practices reduceerosion and improve water quality byincreasing the amount of quality forageavailable on grasslands.

Harrison County SWCD worked withlandowners to implement 67 conserva-tion practices. Grade stabilization struc-tures, the primary practice utilized in thecounty, prevents erosion and improveswater quality by creating a shorterslope and slowing water running overthe land. On average, each structuresaves 435 tons of topsoil each year, tototal more than 29,000 tons of topsoilsaved annually.

Webster County SWCD was recog-nized for continued progress of anAgricultural Nonpoint Source SpecialArea Land Treatment (AgNPS SALT)project. AgNPS SALT projects are local-ly led projects sponsored by the depart-ment that focus on reducing agriculturalnonpoint source pollution. The seven-year James River Headwaters Projectbegan in 2002. In 2005, work withlandowners implemented erosion con-trol practices and pasture and nutrientmanagement programs, improvedwoodland health, protected groundwa-ter and stream corridors, and providedinformation and education programs.

Katy Trail Ride Deadline Nears

Grab your bicycle and catch a ride onthe Katy – Katy Trail State Park that is!Applications are now available for bicy-clists who would like to participate in KatyTrail Ride 2006, a ride on the nation’slongest developed rail-trail project.

“Catch the Katy” is a weeklong bicy-cle ride on Katy Trail State Park from St.Charles to Clinton. Katy Trail Ride 2006is sponsored by the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources andthe Missouri State Parks Foundation.

The 20 grant recipients, chosen from56 applications, were selected basedon recommendations from the MissouriTrails Advisory Board. The grants wereawarded based on the results of a com-petitive scoring process and the appli-cation’s suitability under funding provi-sions included in the Safe,Accountable, Flexible, Efficient,Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy forUsers (SAFETEA-LU) and other federalguidelines. At least a 20 percent matchis required by the applicant. A fundingrequirement targets 30 percent of thefunding for motorized trails, 30 percentfor non-motorized trails and 40 percentfor diversified trail use.

For more information about the grantprogram, contact the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources at(800) 334-6946 (voice) or (800) 379-2419 (Telecommunications Device forthe Deaf) or call (573) 751-3442.

Governors Call for E85 Vehicles

Gov. Matt Blunt hasjoined governors fromacross the country torecognize automakersfor producing more flex-ible fuel vehicles andcalling on the auto industry to step upproduction of even more vehicles thatoperate on 85 percent ethanol or E85.

“If we are serious about movingaway from foreign oil suppliers byincreasing ethanol use, the auto indus-try must continue to stand with us inthis effort,” Blunt said

The call to step up production ofE85 vehicles follows a meeting of theGovernors’ Ethanol Coalition. Coalitionmembers have presented auto manu-facturers with a resolution reiteratingtheir commendation for the 5 millionvehicles operating in the United Statesthat are already capable of using E85.

Blunt is calling on automakers tomanufacture more vehicles and modelscapable of operating on E85 and sup-porting public policy measures thatcontribute to added infrastructure forthe use of E85. Blunt has touredMissouri to highlight his proposal to

Spring / Summer 2006 17

Looking for a new kind of campingexperience? Try the yurt at Lake of theOzarks State Park near Kaiser.

A yurt is a circular structure with afabric cover, much like a tent. Its wood-en frame makes it strong and weather-proof and it sits on a wooden platformwith decking. It has a locking door,three large windows to enjoy the view,and a dome skylight that can beopened for ventilation.

The yurt in Lake of the Ozarks StatePark’s campground is located in scenicwooded area with views of the lake. Itfeatures a log futon, log futon bunkbed, coffee table, lamp and heater. Theunit sleeps five with a maximum occu-pancy of six. To prepare for your expe-rience, bring everything you would nor-mally bring to go camping such aslanterns, cooking and eating utensilsand water containers. The yurt does

require all gasoline for motor vehicleuse sold in the state to contain 10 per-cent ethanol (E-10). Minnesota,Montana and Hawaii have alreadyenacted an E-10 requirement.

Blunt included full funding for theEthanol Incentive Fund in his proposedbudget to the General Assembly. Thebudget Blunt signed last year includedthe full $5.3 million in funding for theyear as well as $2.7 million of the fundsowed from previous years.

Yearning for a Yurt?

not have running water, so planaccordingly. Guests must bring theirown linens and sleeping bags.Available to rent year-round at a cost of$30 plus tax for one to six occupants,the yurt can be reserved by calling 1-877-422-6766 or online at[www.mostateparks.com].

The yurt is part of the continuingeffort by the Department of NaturalResources to provide new campingexperiences in Missouri state parks.Last year, the department began offer-ing camper cabins in campgrounds inMark Twain and Stockton state parks.

For news releases on the Web, visit

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

ing of the department’s upcoming meetings, hear-

ings and events, visit the department’s online cal-

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

Send your photo to “Time Exposures,”c/o Missouri Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jef-ferson City, MO 65102-0176. All pictures willbe returned via insured mail. Pre-1970 en-vironmental and natural resource photosfrom Missouri will be considered. Pleasetry to include the date and location of thepicture, a brief description and any relatedhistoric details that might be of interest toour readers.

18 Missouri Resources

High water has been a multi-seasonal visitor to Cape Girardeau’s Mississippi riverfront for many years. A photographerrecorded this view looking downriver on Water Street. While it is uncertain the exact year this photo was taken, the presenceof 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 nowdecorate the concrete portion of the levee. This photo is from the James G. Haman Collection.

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and served as summer games director for the Utah SpecialOlympics. For more information regarding accessible playgroundscontact Unlimited Play at (636)272-1410. To donate to the project,contact Victoria Schmidt at (314) 973-1131.

I n St. Louis, a similar playground is being constructed in ForestPark, thanks to the generosity of several individual donors and

lead financial donors Dennis and Judith Jones. The Dennis andJudith Jones Variety Wonderland features a wheelchair-accessi-ble “tree house,” a 34-foot musical tower for sight-impaired chil-dren, a garden designed to attract monarch butterflies, a low-im-pact teeter-totter and swings with back supports. St. LouisVariety, a children’s charity dedicated to serving children withphysical and mental disabilities in the Greater St. Louis area, di-rected the project.

“We’re hoping that all new construction or playground renovationwill embrace an ‘inclusive’ plan so that ALL children, able-bodiedand those with disabilities, can experience playtime together,” saidJan Albus, executive director of St. Louis Variety. “Naturally, theywill learn about acceptance and diversity. Through playtime, they’llimprove their physical strength while improving social skills, self-esteem, confidence and even negotiation skills.”

For those who are interested in starting similar projects in their owncommunities, Albus offered some advice. “The playground itselfmust be accessible, but the location must also be accessible toparents,” Albus emphasized. “Count on a three-year process. Re-search community and park guidelines for an inclusive public play-ground. Then, make certain that you have a design team as talent-ed as Powers Bowersox Associates and HOK. Their expertise andcounsel were invaluable,” Albus said.

St. Louis Varietynamed Dennis its2004 Man of the Yearand Saint Louis Uni-versity awardedDennis and Judyeach a humanitiesdoctorate degree in1998. Dennis co-founded OJF Phar-maceuticals in 1969and in 1981 becamefounder, chairmanand CEO of JonesPharma. With otheraccessible playgrounds already beginning to appear in the St.Louis region, the Jones’ hope the construction in Forest Park willinspire others to get involved in efforts in their communities.

“A playground is such a simple concept, yet this state-of-the-artplayground will provide therapy, learning and social developmentopportunities for Variety children,” Dennis said. “Now while theirsiblings are playing, they can join them on the playground insteadof sitting and watching or staying at home.”

Kathy Deters is a public information coordinator for theMissouri Department of Natural Resources.

Spring / Summer 2006 19

A s an infant, Natalie Blakemore’s son, Zach, quickly beganmissing developmental milestones. In the midst of numerous

doctors’ appointments to determine the type and extent of Zach’sdisabilities, friends invited Natalie and Zach to the park.

“I realized Zach couldn’t do much, but thought he could swing inthe baby swing,” Natalie said. “It only took one push to realize thateven that did not have enough support for Zach. I went home intears that day promising never to return to a park again.” ThoughNatalie, an O’Fallon resident, and Zach, who now uses a walker,eventually tried other playgrounds, they were always met with thesame barriers. “Zach is forced to either sit on the side and watch orhave someone carry him from place to place. Imagine how manyfive-year-olds come up to play when your mom is carrying you.”

During a vacation to Sterling, Va., in 2002, a relative suggested thatNatalie and Zach visit a barrier-free playground. Natalie and herhusband, Todd, quickly became interested in building a similarplayground in St. Charles County that would provide UnlimitedPlay – the name of the organization the Blakemores founded – forall children, including her son Zach, now five.

After raising approximately $525,000 for the $750,000 playground,Unlimited Play, along with the Lake Saint Louis Parks and Recre-ation Department, broke ground on the 22-acre park. It includes aspecial wheelchair-friendly surface, ramps, Braille, a water-spraypark and other features.

“One of the most important things about the playground is that itwill create a community within a community, where children at ayoung age can learn from each other,” Natalie said.

The playground received funding from the St. Charles County Devel-opmental Disabilities Resource Board, Lake Saint Louis and a Landand Water Conservation Fund grant from the federal government,which is administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Re-sources. They also received funding from CenturyTel, Citigroup Inc.,VFW, American Legion, Wentzville Holt High School, the ChristopherReeve Paralysis Foundation and several other donors. Natalie alsocredits the project’s success to the participation of the Lake SaintLouis Parks and Recreation Department, Unlimited Play’s board andvolunteers, and Zach’s speech therapist, Karena Eoff-Romstad.

Natalie, who has two younger daughters, Brianna and Cassi, has adegree from Brigham Young University in recreation management

Expanding Horizons of Fun

New Playgrounds Set Inclusive Standard

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T he names of many famous Mis-sourians, from all walks of life,adorn buildings, monuments,

lakes, colleges, public lands and parksthroughout the state. Missourians have hon-ored their favorite writers, artists, politi-cians, doctors and war heroes in this way torecognize and pay tribute to their achieve-ments. Nestled in the rolling hills of north-ern Missouri near Trenton is Crowder StatePark, named after one such Missouri citizen.

The park’s namesake, Maj. Gen. EnochHerbert Crowder, was born a few milesfrom the park in the hamlet of Edinburg in1859. After attending Grand River Collegein Edinburg, he continued his education atWest Point. His military career included ef-forts to subdue Geronimo and his Apacheband, serving as military governor of thePhilippines and as the first ambassador toCuba. He is best remembered as the “fatherof the selective service.” As judge advocate

general, he authored the Selective ServiceAct 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 recognizedfor his knowledge, devotion to duty anddedication to fairness. The inscription onhis 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 honorserves as a place for people to relax, recre-ate and enjoy their freedoms. It is composedof rugged slopes and stately forests amid aregion of mostly level farmland. The park’srich glacial soils nurture thick forests ofwhite oak, northern red oak, hickory andsugar maple trees. Winding its way throughthe park is the Thompson River, which isnamed after Dr. William Preston Thompson,whose residence ruins lie within the park.Cottonwood, silver maple and river birch

by Jennifer Sieg

(Above) Crowder State Park features 41 campsites, including two designed specifically for peoplewith 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 bottomlandsare 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 ofmosses cling to sandstone ledges. Prairie, alandscape that once dominated the region, isbeing restored in areas of the park. The di-verse landscape attracts many bird species,including Neotropical migrants such as theyellow-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 naturalfeatures of the park and enjoy solitude.Hike the park’s 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 andcemetery 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 dayin the park, the 18-acre Crowder Lake

offers anglers an opportunity to cast theirlines for channel catfish, largemouth bass,crappie and bluegill. Lounging on the lake’ssand swimming beach is another laid-backoption for visitors. A bathhouse is available.

Make a day of it and bring along a picniclunch to enjoy at one of many secluded pic-nic sites nestled under lofty trees. Largegroups can reserve one of two open picnicshelters, one of which overlooks the lake.The shelters rent for $30 per day or areavailable free on a first-come, first-servedbasis if they are not reserved. Swings, vol-leyball poles, a paved tennis court and openspace for running make the park a greatplace for family gatherings. For $40 perday, the family gathering can be held in-doors with the rental of the park’s enclosedshelter, which is equipped with a sink,stove, refrigerator, restroom, heater andfireplace. Open Shelter No. 1, the park’snewest shelter, and the enclosed shelter areaccessible to people with disabilities.

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Play for more than a dayand sleep under the stars inthe park’s campground,which houses 41 campsites,31 of which have electrichookups and two of whichare accessible to people withdisabilities. Camping ameni-ties include a playground, hotshowers, water, laundry facil-ities, firewood and a dumpstation. Reserve your camp-ing spot in advance by calling1-877-ICampMo or online at[www.mostateparks.com].First-come, first-servedcampsites also are available.

N on-profit youth groupscan reserve the park’s

special-use area for theirnext overnight outing. Thearea features open space fortents, picnic tables, firerings, a water hydrant and avault toilet. Organized youthgroups can also rent thepark’s organized group camp.Camp Grand River accom-modates up to 120 campers

with six sleeping cabins, a dining lodge anda recreation hall. The camp has plenty offeatures to help create lasting memories forits temporary residents, including lots ofopen space, an amphitheater, a basketballcourt and a swimming beach. A summercamp wouldn’t be complete without a greatplace for a campfire to relax, tell storiesand sing around. To reserve either of thesecamping areas, contact the park directly at(660) 359-6473.

Crowder State Park, like all of Mis-souri’s state parks, offers visitors a place torecreate in the outdoors and learn about andexplore Missouri’s vast array of landscapes.Visit the park to get away from everydayhassles and relax and enjoy the freedomsthat people like Maj. Gen. Enoch Crowderhave helped preserve.

For more information about CrowderState Park, contact the park at (660) 359-6473, the Missouri Department of NaturalResources toll free at 1-800-334-6946(voice) or 1-800-379-2419 (Telecommuni-cations Device for the Deaf) or visit theWeb at [www.mostateparks.com].

Jennifer Sieg is a public information spe-cialist with the Department of Natural Re-sources’ Division of State Parks.

22 Missouri Resources

Watch the sunset on Crowder Lake – a beautiful 18-acre impoundment with cat-fish, crappie, bass and panfish. It also has a swimming beach and bathhouse.The park also features trails for hiking, cycling and horseback riding.

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Spring/Summer 2006 23

I n 1610, Gov. Gage of Virginia, in aProclamation for Jamestown, Vir-

ginia, said, “There shall be no man orwoman dare to wash any unclean linen,wash clothes … nor rinse or makeclean any kettle, pot, or pan or anysuchlike vessel within twenty feet ofthe old well or new pump. Nor shallanyone aforesaid, within less than aquarter mile of the fort, dare to do thenecessities of nature, since by these un-manly, slothful, and loathsome immod-esties, the whole fort may be chokedand poisoned.”

This proclamation shows that safe-guarding community water supplieshas been a priority of American com-munities for centuries. Frank Mc-Daniels, an environmental specialistwith the department’s Public DrinkingWater Branch, believes that protectingour drinking water sources is as impor-tant now as it was back then.

“I’ve been a hunter since I was two.Hunting ethics have taught me not tolitter or contaminate the soil and water.If we don’t protect the environmenttoday, there won’t be anything to pro-tect tomorrow,” said McDaniels.

McDaniels’ job is to provide train-ing to drinking water operators aboutsource water protection and motivatecommunities to develop a protectionplan. Source water is untreated waterfrom streams, rivers, lakes, or under-ground aquifers that is used to supplyprivate wells and public drinkingwater. Developing a source-water pro-tection plan is not mandatory, but is away to determine which contaminantsare threats to local drinking water

sources and how to protect drinkingwater from them. The department reg-ulates 1,261 community water sup-plies and 1,129 non-community sup-plies. Schools, restaurants, motels,campgrounds and churches with theirown wells are typical non-communitywater systems.

As of November 2006, there were42 approved source-water protectionplans for supplies serving 300,000people in Missouri. McDaniels is try-ing to increase the number of commu-nities with plans. He shows communi-ties that protecting the water sourcefrom contaminants keeps the rawwater cleaner. Cleaner raw water re-quires less treatment. This reducescosts and increases water safety for thedistrict and customers.

“Protecting a water source is ourfirst line of defense. If contaminantsdon’t get into the water source, youdon’t have to get them out,” said Mc-Daniels. “I bring energy and enthusi-asm to my job because I believe how

Career ConnectionWater Protection – A Job for the Agesby

by Colleen MeredithDNR file photographs

Frank McDaniels (left)meets with community rep-resentatives. Planning bymembers of a communityprotects local water re-sources by defending themagainst a variety of poten-tial contaminants. A planthat identifies these threatsto source water qualityhelps ensure clean water inprivate and public wells.

important itis for all ofus to haveclean water,”he added.McDanielsoften workswith theMissouriRural WaterAssociation,a source ofprofessionalservices,support andrepresenta-tion for Mis-souri waterand waste-water utilities. He also serves on a taskforce that developed guidance forsource-water protection plans. On abroader scale, McDaniels represents thePublic Drinking Water Program onother department groups involved inwatershed planning.

Don Scott, a coworker, feels Mc-Daniels’ strength is in his ability to mo-tivate and educate. “I’ve seen Frankduring training sessions. He reallyreaches the operators. They pay atten-tion to him because he [McDaniels]was an operator,” Scott said.

McDaniels was a water system oper-ator for the City of New Franklin formore than 10 years before attendingCrowder College in pursuit of a degreein Environmental Health. He began hisdepartment career as a water specialistat Poplar Bluff’s Southeast RegionalOffice in 1994. In 2002 , McDaniels

24 Missouri Resources

moved toJeffersonCity and be-came thesource waterprotectioncoordinatorwith the de-partment’sPublicDrinkingWaterBranch. McDanielssaid,“I wentaround theSouth Poleto get to theNorth. I

started working in wastewater anddrinking water and then quit. When Igot away from the work, I realized howimportant it was.”

To become an environmental spe-cialist for the department you musthave a bachelor’s degree in Environ-mental Science or Technology, Chem-istry, Biology, Geology, Engineering,Agronomy, Forestry, Soil Science,Ecology, Wildlife Management, Agri-culture, Animal Science, Natural Re-source Management, Soil Conservationor a closely related field.

For more information on this orother positions, call the department tollfree at 1-800-361-4827 and ask for theHuman Resources Program.

Colleen Meredith is an environmentalspecialist with the department’s WaterResources Program.

‘‘... If we don’t protect the environment

today, there won’t be anything to

protect tomorrow.

– Frank McDaniels, DNR Environmental Specialist

(Right) Drinking Water Pro-tection Area signs are pro-vided to communities thathave received department

approval for a local sourcewater protection plan. A

source of pride among com-munities, the signs are es-

pecially helpful to emer-gency personnel

responding to hazardousspills. Posted on roads

where the given protectionarea begins, the signs alert

cleanup personnel that alocal drinking water supplymight be affected by a spill

in the area. They also areoften displayed in a decal

format on community busi-ness windows. This informsthe public that the business

is doing its part to helpkeep the area’s water clean.

The signs also remind oth-ers to help do their part to

assist and support that suc-cessful effort.

’’

M any would agree that Missouri’sstate parks and historic sites

provide some of the best opportuni-ties for experiencing the state’s mostscenic natural landscapes and culturallandmarks. Few, however, wouldprobably associate these same areaswith places in which to engage in ex-ercise. Yet, several of the recreationalpossibilities offered, such as swim-ming, hiking, walking and bicycling,require some level of physical activi-ty or exercise. And, exercise, in addi-tion to a wholesome diet, helps con-tribute to a healthier lifestyle. Betterstill, exercising within Missouri’s 83state parks and historic sites can bedone while surrounded by incrediblybeautiful vistas or colorful and di-verse history.

In addition to preserving Mis-souri’s most outstanding natural land-scapes and cultural landmarks, a thirdcomponent of the mission of the Mis-souri Department of Natural Re-sources’ Division of State Parks is toprovide recreation that is both enjoy-

by Dawn Fredrickson

able and healthy. To highlight this as-pect of its mission, promote a healthi-er lifestyle in its visitors and encour-age use of its facilities for physicalactivity, the division has partneredwith the Missouri Department ofHealth and Senior Services to offerMissourians a fitness program, theShow-Me Missouri State Parks – KatyTrail Challenge.

Launched this past April, theShow-Me Missouri State Parks – KatyTrail Challenge invites participants towalk, bicycle, jog or engage in 225miles of physical activity in a year.Although participants are welcomedto use the 225-mile Katy Trail StatePark to participate in the challenge,they also are encouraged to use otherstate parks, local parks, communitywalking trails, other long distancetrails or fitness centers.

Participants are sent a brochurethat includes an activity log to trackmiles or activities completed. Partici-pants are also sent information foradopting a healthier diet and informa-

tion about Missouri’s state park sys-tem. Upon completion of the year-long program, participants receive aT-shirt and will be entered into adrawing for a lodging package in Mis-souri state parks, which includes atwo-night stay and evening meals fortwo people. Winners of the drawingwill be announced in April 2007.

So, during your next visit to a statepark or historic site, consider partici-pating in the many physical activitiesMissouri’s state park system has tooffer and join the Show-Me MissouriState Parks – Katy Trail Challenge.

For information on participating,please contact the Department of Nat-ural Resources toll free at 1-800-334-6946 (voice) or 1-800-379-2419(Telecommunications Device for theDeaf). Information can also be re-quested by e-mail atmoparks@dnr.mo.gov.

Dawn Fredrickson is planning sectionchief for the Department of NaturalResources’ Division of State Parks.

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MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCESP.O. Box 176Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176

Nonprofit Org.US POSTAGE PAID

MO Dept. ofNatural

Resources