MISSOURIresources

Fall 2009 • Volume 26 • Number 3

Director’s Comment

As crisp autumn leaves fall, mostof us begin to turn our thermo-

stats up. But for Missourians living onlimited financial resources, this isn’tan option. Many choose between heat-ing their homes and feeding their chil-dren, or perhaps purchasing prescrip-tion medications. Often, these samefamilies find themselves in draftyhouses that can’t fight off the frigidtemperatures of winter that are justaround the corner.

This issue of Missouri Resourceslooks at the Low-Income Weatheriza-tion Assistance Program, which helpsqualifying homeowners improve theenergy efficiency of their homes. Theresult is significantly lower utility billsfor homeowners and homes that aremore comfortable for their occupants.The work done at these houses not onlyassists families in need but also bene-fits the entire state’s economy, and theenergy saved protects the natural re-sources that all Missourians share.

In August, the Department’s Ener-gy Center awarded $9,195,704 inweatherization subgrants to commu-nity action agencies across Missourito continue to assist low-income fami-lies, particularly the elderly, the phys-ically disadvantaged and familieswith children. The subgrants are pro-vided by the U.S. Department of Ener-gy and administered by the EnergyCenter. Through the American Recov-ery and Reinvestment Act, the federalgovernment’s investment in Missouri’sweatherization program is expected tototal more than $128 million over thenext three years.

Just as the cooler temperaturesmean warmer homes, they also offeran opportunity to visit our state parksto enjoy the splendor of fall colors. Ifyou’re planning an outing, I encour-age you to visit Roaring River StatePark near Cassville, one of our manyfine parks. The Department recentlycelebrated the opening of a new con-venience store at the state park in Au-gust. The new expanded store offers avariety of merchandise, includingfishing tackle and equipment, sou-venir items, groceries and other con-

venience items for campers and visi-tors. The new store was built by con-cessionaires Jim and Carmen Rogersin partnership with the Department.The Rogers will operate the store,which will become the property of theDepartment at the end of their con-cession contract term.

The store represents a successfulpublic/private partnership and is ex-pected to have a positive impact onthe local economy. The Rogers usedmany local contractors in the store’sconstruction, and hope that its con-venient location and expanded gro-cery store will also make it a conven-ient option for local residents. Theexpansion also created jobs for eightarea workers.

As the season of Thanksgiving ap-proaches, projects like these remindme to take a moment to express mygratitude to the caring citizens thatmake these programs possible. I amgrateful to those who participate inenvironmental initiatives andcleanups, the state park volunteerswho give their time to help us ensurethat our parks are an enjoyable placeto visit, the hard-working communityaction agencies and contractors thatmake sure every Missourian has awarm place to call home, and count-less others that make this state a bet-ter place to live.

Fall 2009Volume 26 • Number 3

State of MissouriGovernor

Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon

Director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Mark N. Templeton

Deputy Director, Water ResourcesMike Wells

Acting Director, Division of State ParksDan Paige

Director, Division of Geology and Land SurveyJoe Gillman

Acting Director, Division of Field ServicesAlice Geller

Director, Division of Environmental QualityDan Schuette

Director, Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority

Tom Welch

EditorStuart Westmoreland

Assistant EditorPhilip J. Tremblay

Design DirectorBelinda Hughes

DesignerRuby Wells

PhotographerScott Myers

CirculationLuke Petree

Alisha GibsonJessica Buschjost

Editorial BoardLarry Archer

Hylan BeydlerKerry CordrayKathy Deters

Sue HolstByron Murray

Kenneth SeeneyStuart Westmoreland

Mission StatementThe mission of the Missouri Department of Natural

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

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, PO Box 176, Jefferson City,

MO 65102-0176, or call 800-361-4827. E-mail address: moresdnr@dnr.mo.govMoDNR home page: www.dnr.mo.govTo subscribe or unsubscribe online:

www.dnr.mo.gov/magazine/subscription.htm

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 RR Donnelley, Liberty, Missouri.

Periodicals postage paid at Liberty, Mo. Post Office.

printed on recycled paperMark N. TempletonMissouri Department of Natural Resources

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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Above right: Diving off cliffs into lakes and streams may be considered fun but it is often dangerous and can be illegal.Above: This panoramic photo of a thunderstorm approaching Columbia is a combination of 14 separate photos.COVER: The shut-ins at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, near Lesterville, are once again ready for visitors.Cover photo by Scott Myers

page 2Encounters with Natureby Sue HolstMissouri state parks offer a window to the natural world. Theopportunities are myriad and diverse, so it’s important to knowyour capabilities and limitations. Plan ahead and come prepared!

page 6Warm HomecomingMissouri’s WeatherizationProgram Invests in Real Lifeby Kerry CordrayNew federal eligibility changes have made access to home weath-erization assistance a possibility for thousands of Missourians.After the improvements, utility savings average 30-35 percent.

page 9Johnson’s Shut-Ins State ParkA New Beginningby Sue HolstNearly four years after the breach of Taum Sauk Reservoir, Johnson’sShut-Ins State Park is back on its feet. Although much of the devastationwas impossible to erase, a trip to JSI allows visitors to interpret the event,the healing process and, of course, the incredible shut-ins.

page 12Managing Radionuclidesby Susan Bloomer Radionuclides are naturally occurring radioactive elements that show up in some underground water sources. Stricter EPAdrinking water standards require lower levels of radionuclides in Missouri’s 2,800 public drinking water supplies.

14 • News BriefsE-Notes, Letters, Stream Team Notebook,Time Exposures, Resource Honor Roll

20 • Resources to ExploreLong Branch State Park

23 • Career ConnectionCharles DuCharme: A Watershed of Challenges

25 • One Last WordCooperative Effort a Flying Success

2 Missouri Resources

in Missouri State Parksby Sue Holst

photographs by Scott Myers

In today’s busy world filled with traffic,concrete and steel, Missouri state parksprovide a window into an outdoor

world filled with thick forests, rollingprairies and clear rivers and streams. Theselandscapes offer a backdrop for many activ-ities such as hiking, swimming, fishing andjust exploring nature.

“State parks are great places to enjoywith your friends and family and you can doso without spending a lot of money. One ofthe main reasons people want to come tostate parks is to experience the outdoorworld and everything that includes,” saidDan Paige, acting director for the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources’ Divisionof State Parks.

Part of the mission of the state park sys-tem is to preserve and interpret Missouri’smost outstanding landscapes and providerecreational opportunities. To do this, unde-veloped areas of state parks are kept asclose to their natural state as possible.Recreational opportunities are developed ormade available in ways that are compatiblewith those natural conditions. In an effort tobring nature close to the public, hikingtrails may be developed on steep, rocky ter-rain or swimming areas available on wildand dynamic streams. State parks also pro-vide areas where you can see wildlife intheir natural settings.

“Nature is what often draws people tostate parks, but sometimes visitors may notbe aware of or totally understand the naturalconditions that are a part of this outdoorworld,” said Fred Hicks, risk managementcoordinator for Missouri state parks.

Make sure your next visit to a state park,or any natural setting, is a positive one. Thefollowing information and suggestions are agood place to start.

Trail UseMissouri state parks offer a variety of trails

for many different kinds of users and experi-ences. Trails have been developed for hiking,backpacking, bicycling, all-terrain vehiclesand equestrian use. Hiking and bicycling aretwo of the most popular forms of trail use.

Hiking• Know your own capabilities. If you are

not a frequent hiker, don’t try to hike along, strenuous trail. State parks offermany different trails that vary in lengthand terrain so try one that you may bemore comfortable when hiking.

• When you plan a hike, let a friend, fami-ly member or staff at the park officeknow where you are going and when youwill return.

• If you are not familiar with the trail, pickup a detailed map and make sure you arefamiliar with how to use it.

• Be aware of the weather that day anddress accordingly. Hypothermia can set

(Opposite page) Poison ivycan form a lush groundcover but avoid this plantwhenever possible.(Left) Knowing your bicycleand wearing a helmet canhelp ensure a safe trip.Oren Shapira, Israel, navi-gates a trail at CastlewoodState Park.(Above) Never swim aloneor leave small children un-supervised near water. TheRae family, Festus, checkstheir safety equipment.

Fall 2009 3

(Above) Wearing an ap-proved personal flotation

device is always recom-mended with water activi-ties. Marybeth Bronsman,O’Fallon, makes sure the

life jacket fits properly.(Right) Bicycle helmets are

encouraged for everyone,even young riders on Katy

Trail State Park. Alma Hopkins, Columbia, with

children, Thomas and Mer-riam, check their equip-

ment near Klondike.

in very quickly ifyou become coldand wet.

• Always carrywater to ensureyou stay properlyhydrated. Also,carry food foradded energy.

• Wear the proper footwear for the trail.Hiking boots are more appropriate forrugged and rocky trails and may help youavoid foot or ankle injuries.

• Carrying some form of communication,such as a cell phone, may be helpful butplease note that there may not be cover-age in all areas of the park.

Bicycling• Make sure you are familiar with your bi-

cycle. Once you are stranded on a trail, itis not a good time to realize you do notknow how to fix simple problems withyour bicycle.

• Know your own physical capabilities.“Sometimes, bicyclists believe they cango farther than they are capable of goingsafely. We always recommend that theywork up to long trips. The result is usual-ly more positive,” said Dawn Fredrick-son, assistant district supervisor for theNorthern Parks District, which includes

225-mile-long Katy Trail State Park.“Many bicyclists believe the Katy Trailis easy to ride because it is level and theycan misjudge their own capabilities, es-pecially when it comes to distance,”Fredrickson said.

• Always carry food and water, especiallyin the summer, to ensure that you do notbecome dehydrated.

• Always wear a helmet, even if the trail issmooth and flat.

Swimming• Six state parks have swimming pools that

are open to the public and have life-guards available anytime they are open.Many other state parks have designatedswimming areas at lakes that offer swim-ming beaches. Conditions in these areasare monitored but there are no lifeguardson duty. Signs are posted at these areasto let visitors know there are no life-guards available. There are also other

4 Missouri Resources

non-designated areas in state parkswhere visitors access rivers or lakes attheir own risk.

Anytime you enter the water, the followingtips will help ensure a safe experience.

• Be aware of the lake or river’s condi-tions. Rivers and lakes are dynamic andhave natural conditions that cannot becontrolled like those in a swimmingpool. There may be swift currents, shift-ing stream bottoms or debris in the wateryou cannot see.

• Know your own physical capabilities. Ifyou are not a good swimmer, do not tryto swim across the lake or exceed yourphysical limitations.

• Always wear an approved personal flota-tion device.

• Never swim alone. Make sure someoneis with you or knows where you are.

• Do not leave small children unsupervisednear the water.

• Do not drink alcohol and swim.

Other Encounterswith Nature

Wild animals such as skunks and rac-coons are not pets and should be enjoyedfrom a distance. If encouraged, they maybecome unwelcome guests in your camp-site. To guard against such unwelcome visi-tors, do not feed any wildlife. Put all trashin receptacles and keep all food locked in

your car, camper or stur-dy container.

Ticks can cling toyour clothing when youwalk through any typeof vegetation. The likeli-hood of becoming sickis slim; however, severalillnesses are linked tobacteria that can be transmitted by a tick.Precautions you can take against ticks in-clude wearing light-colored clothing so theycan be seen easily, wearing long pantstucked into boots or socks, and applying in-sect repellent to your shoes, socks, cuffsand pant legs. Remove ticks correctly assoon as you find them.

Poison ivy is a ropelike vine or standingplant that contains an oil that can be very ir-ritating to the skin. Recognized by its“leaves of three,” poison ivy is green in thesummer and red in the fall. Limit exposureto the plant and wear long sleeves and pants.

The Department wants your experiencein state parks to be a positive one. Thesesimple suggestions can help ensure that it isa safe and enjoyable one for you and yourfamily. Many state parks also offer other in-formation about encountering nature. Formore information about Missouri stateparks and historic sites, visit the Web at[www.mostateparks.com].

Sue Holst is the information officer for theDepartment’s Division of State Parks.

(Above) Sturdy footwearhelps hiker Jeff Niblack,Kirkwood, travel therugged terrain in MissouriState Parks.(Above left) Many parksoffer lifeguard-supervisedswimming pools. Here theWashburn Church of Christholds a pool party at Roar-ing River State Park.

Fall 2009 5

Terri Warren and her two children live in a littleyellow frame house in Fayette, Mo. The Warrensbegan renting the home in 2006. As cooler fall

weather set in during their first year there, it became evi-dent to Warren that heating the place would be a challenge.“I knew that an older house can be drafty and hard to keepwarm,” Warren said. “But I knew how to make do.” A sin-gle mom, Warren works the night shift in a local health carefacility. Dealing with the natural gas bills was a monthlybudget obstacle. When a really cold spell came along, theyclosed off the heating vents to her son’s bedroom and sleptin the same room.

After she had tolerated the situation for three winters,she saw a flyer in a local office about an assistance pro-gram that could make her house more comfortable and theutility bills easier to pay. She visited the Howard Countyoffice of Central Missouri Community Action to apply forthe Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program – thefirst step in a process that would bring the Warren family awarmer and safer house, lower utility bills and a more man-ageable family budget.

History Of SuccessMany Missourians know the Low-Income Weatheriza-

tion Assistance Program by the simpler name of “Weath-

erization.” That nickname is commonly misunderstood.“People hear about ‘weatherizing’ a home, and they usual-ly think of temporary fixes, like putting plastic sheetsover windows,” says Darin Preis, CMCA executive direc-tor. “The program is much more. It helps each assistedhousehold achieve lasting cost savings by installing sub-stantial energy-saving measures.”

Administered by the Missouri Department of NaturalResources’ Energy Center and implemented by 18 agen-cies throughout the state, the program provides services toincome-eligible clients, as well as training and guidancein voluntary ways to keep energy costs down. The pro-gram was founded at the federal level in 1976. More than155,000 Missouri homes have been weatherized sinceMissouri’s program began in 1978.

The agencies provide weatherization services to Mis-souri residents with incomes at or below 200 percent of thefederal poverty levels – especially the elderly, those physi-cally disadvantaged and families with children. “Morehouseholds became eligible with changes under the Ameri-can Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” says Preis. “For ex-ample, in 2008 a family of four needed an annual income of$31,800 or less to qualify for assistance. Under the newguidelines, a family of four making as much as $44,100 cannow be eligible.”

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WarmHomecomingMissouri’s Weatherization Program Invests in Real Lifeby Kerry Cordrayphotographs by Scott Myers

Primary funding for Missouri’ s weather-ization efforts comes from the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy. The funds are provided tolocal agencies by the Department’s EnergyCenter according to federal guidelines.Through agreements made with the EnergyCenter in rate adjustment cases and otherregulatory matters, some Missouri utilitycompanies provide additional funding toweatherize more homes in their serviceareas. These utilities include AmerenUE,Aquila, Atmos Energy, Empire DistrictElectric Company, Kansas City Power &Light Company, Laclede Gas Company andMissouri Gas Energy.

Investment In Recovery

Under the Recovery Act, the federal in-vestment in Missouri’s weatherization pro-gram for the next three years will be sub-stantially greater than annual funding in thepast. During fiscal years 2007 through2009, Missouri’s annual funding was about$6 million per year. Funding under the Re-covery Act over the next three years willtotal more than $128 million.

“Local agencies will be hiring and train-ing workforces and buying vehicles, equip-ment and materials,” said Department Di-rector Mark Templeton. “Indirectly,weatherization funds are used and reused,stimulating the state’ s businesses andeconomy, and creating jobs. Nationwide,weatherization reduces energy demand bythe equivalent of 18 million barrels of oileach year. But the most critical benefit isdirect – more homes will be weatherizedand hundreds more low-income Missouri-ans helped to afford their utilities for yearsto come.”

Home ImprovementAfter CMCA found the Warren house-

hold financially eligible, an agency crewwas sent to perform a thorough energyaudit. Weatherization home audits arebased on the newest principles of what en-ergy efficiency experts call “building sci-ence.” Testing of the home is technologi-cally sophisticated, using computerizeddiagnostic equipment including a blowerdoor, pressure gauges and infrared camerasto help the agency determine the most cost-effective energy-saving measures to use ineach home. “Most clients are really sur-

(Opposite page) Terri War-ren and her son Roby havea smaller stack of energybills since their home wasweatherized by Central Mis-souri Community Action ofHoward County.(Above and left) At anotherhome, Toby Martin, with theCMCA crew, runs a blowerdoor to check energy effi-ciency and leaks.

Fall 2009 7

prised at how much technology is beingused,” said Judy Miller, an auditor/inspec-tor with CMCA.

After the agency evaluated results of theWarrens’ audit, it developed work plans andpurchased materials, and in a few weeks awork crew from CMCA came back to thehome. The crew sealed cracks that had al-lowed air to leak through the foundation,exterior walls and around windows anddoors. Cellulose insulation was blown intothe attic and walls, and additional fiberglass

insulation was added to floors. “This homehad almost no insulation,” said CMCA’sMiller. “One closet also had no ceiling, soone had to be built. It was like an open win-dow into to the attic, letting all the heatedair escape from the room.” The crew alsoinstalled weather stripping and sweeps to alldoors, and insulated the hot water heaterwith a fiberglass wrap. Ductwork wassealed and hot water pipes were wrappedwith foam insulation.

Workers also added a combination carbonmonoxide and smoke detector to a hallwayat the Warrens’ home. In addition to energysavings, ensuring the health and safety ofresidents is an important consideration in allweatherization projects. Other energy-effi-cient improvements made to client homesmay include repair and replacement of duct-work, and cleaning, repair or even completereplacement of inefficient or unsafe furnacesand heating systems. Another benefit of in-creased funding under the Recovery Act willbe an increased budget for the measures thatmay be installed in each home.

Affordable Comfort

While the coming winter months willprovide the real proof of how much TerriWarren’s utility bills will be reduced,CMCA already knows that her savings dur-ing the heating season will be substantial.“We retested air infiltration with the blowerdoor after the work was done, and saw thatwe achieved about a 40 percent reduction,”said CMCA’s chief auditor/inspector DavidGregory. “After a project is complete, utili-ty savings for the resident usually averagesabout 30 to 35 percent.” Weatherization re-lieves low-income residents of the burdenof high energy costs and helps many ofthem catch up on overdue bills.” But War-ren and her children feel an immediate andunmistakable improvement to the comfortof their home.

“Last summer and all the summers be-fore, if we wanted to stay cool we had theair going constantly,” Warren said. “I’d saythe efficiency might be three times betterthan before. I’m almost looking forward towinter,” she laughed.

Kerry Cordray is a division information of-ficer with the Department’s Office of Com-munications.

(Top) CMCA employeeRalph Walker checks an

attic for proper insulation.(Above) Walker and Martin

install a ceiling in a roomthat opened directly

to the attic.

8 Missouri Resources

(Above) The shut-ins are thefeature attraction at John-son’s Shut-Ins State Park.(Left) The Street family,Affton, discovers morewading opportunities in thereconstructed East Fork ofthe Black River.

hen visitors come to Johnson’sShut-Ins State Park today, they willexperience some features that have

been there for thousands of years, and somenew features that have been created or de-veloped within the last three years.

In December 2005, the AmerenUE TaumSauk Reservoir on nearby Proffit Mountainbreached, sending more than 1.3 billiongallons of water down the mountain andinto the main use area of the park. Thewater, carrying tons of trees, debris andboulders, scoured the mountainside andswept through the valley of the East Forkof the Black River in the park. In its wake,it destroyed or extensively damaged facili-ties in the park, including the campgroundand the superintendent’s residence. It alsoaltered the landscape of the valley anddamaged a sensitive natural communityknown as a fen.

After more than three years of environ-mental recovery, restoration and redevelop-ment, the Missouri Department of NaturalResources officially opened the main day-use area of the park on a permanent basis inthe summer of 2009.

“I saw the park soon after the breach hap-pened, and I was devastated to see all thedamage,” said Dan Paige, acting director ofthe Department’s Division of State Parks. “Iknow a lot of us were wondering if it wouldever be the same. What the park visitors seetoday is not the same, but we believe it stillprovides the quality experience that statepark visitors have come to expect.”

As visitors arrive at the park, the mostobvious new facility is the Black RiverCenter. The new center is designed to givevisitors an overview of the park and its fea-tures along with information on the St.Francois Mountains and the surroundingarea. Through interpretive exhibits, thecenter explains the natural, geologic andcultural history of the park, what happened

by Sue Holstphotographs by Scott Myers

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Fall 2009 9

A New BeginningJohnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

in 2005 and what the park offers today. Thecenter also includes staff offices, a meetingroom and a small retail space featuringpark merchandise.

One attraction that has remained essen-tially unchanged is the park’s namesake fea-ture – the shut-ins. Although some boulders,sand and debris were washed into the shut-ins during the breach, this hard volcanicoutcropping still provides a great place forswimming and splashing. Visitors can nowaccess it from a new boardwalk, which alsoprovides outstanding views of the shut-insand the valley.

The breach altered the East Fork of theBlack River, so the river was restored to ad-dress the environmental impacts of thebreach and now flows like a natural mean-dering Ozark stream. This will help reducethe amount of sediment in the river. Anadded benefit of the restored river is the

public now has easy access to the river forswimming, wading and fishing.

A great place to enjoy the river and relaxis at the park’s two picnic areas on thenorth and south ends of the day-use area.The picnic areas feature covered picnicshelters and single picnic pads for amplespace to spread out a lunch with friends andfamily. A larger enclosed shelter is avail-able for larger groups.

or those who forgot to bring a lunchor essentials, the park store has re-

freshments such as hot dogs, hamburgersand ice cream, as well as souvenirs, watershoes and other items.

The park features several trails for differ-ent experiences. The Black River Trail isthe main pedestrian trail that winds throughthe valley of the park. Interpretive signs ex-plain some of the features along the trail,such as the fen, a specialized wetland that iscontinuing to recover. Interpretive signagealso is posted along the boulder field, whichcontains boulders that were carried by thewater coming down Proffit Mountain. Inter-pretive pavilions have been built in the fenand boulder field areas.

A large scour channel was created as thewater rushed down Proffit Mountain. TheScour Trail provides access to the scourchannel and includes interpretation that ex-plains the significance of the geology re-

(Top and opposite page)The waters of the East Fork

of the Black River tumblethrough the rocky shut-ins

at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.

(Inset) Daryl and Lori Roth,Perryville, relax and enjoy a

valley view from the over-look benches.

10 Missouri Resources

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vealed by the force of the water. The trail,which is accessed from Route N just east ofthe main park entrance, includes an over-look and interpretive pavilion. The newreroute of the Ozark Trail has been complet-ed in this area so hikers on the Ozark Trailnow have a view of the scour channel.

A new trail has been created leading fromthe Shut-Ins Trail into the East Fork WildArea. The new Horseshoe Glade Trail takesvisitors through a heavily wooded area toglade openings with scenic views of the val-ley. Goggins Mountain Equestrian Trail al-lows visitors to ride through the GogginsMountain Wild Area and connects to thehiking-only portion of the Ozark Trail.

Before 2005, the campground had beenlocated in the main valley of the park. Thecampground was destroyed by the reservoirbreach and has been moved out of the valleyinto the Goggins Mountain area of the park.This allows for a more spacious camp-ground setting and provides space for addi-tional amenities that were not possible inthe confines of the valley. The new camp-ground features basic, electric, full-hookup,equestrian and walk-in campsites plus sixcamper cabins. For the convenience ofcampers, the campground also includes astore, shower houses and laundry facilities.

While enjoying the park, visitors can ob-serve its continued healing and recovery.The Department of Natural Resources in-

vites the public to once again take advan-tage of the outstanding features and set-tings of this park and the experiences avail-able there.

For more information, call the Depart-ment of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Tele-communications Device for the Deaf).

Sue Holst is the information officer for theDepartment’s Division of State Parks.

(Below) Large boulders, re-minders of the reservoirbreach, are now among thepark’s interpretive features.

Fall 2009 11

Missourians expect and deserve safedrinking water. Ensuring that Mis-souri’s 2,800 public water suppliers

provide safe drinking water is one of the fun-damental responsibilities of the Missouri De-partment of Natural Resources. But what isconsidered “safe” has changed over time, asscience provides more information about thecompounds found in drinking water and theireffects on humans.

When science dictates changes are neces-sary, this can have big ramifications. Take ra-dionuclides, which are naturally occurring ra-dioactive elements found in some drinkingwater supplies. In 2000, the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency reduced the level of ra-dionuclides considered to be safe in drinkingwater. These more stringent requirements be-came effective in Missouri on Dec. 8, 2003.So, the following day, many water systemswere suddenly out of compliance.

The Department worked with these systemsto find ways to bring them into compliance.

But removing radionuclides is neither easy norcheap. Expensive equipment must be engi-neered and installed. There are ongoing costsfor operating and maintaining the equipment.Disposing of the radionuclide waste is eventrickier, and costly. All of these costs must ul-timately be paid by water system customers.

Some in the Department wondered if a dif-ferent approach could be used. Department ge-ologists theorized that specific geologic zoneswere probably contributing the radionuclides.If these zones could be located, perhaps theycould be sealed off. This might simply elimi-nate the radionuclide problem.

Steve Sturgess, a geologist and chief of theDepartment’s Public Drinking Water Branch,and Kenny Duzan, an environmental specialistwith the branch, began discussing the ideawith Peter Price, a geologist with the Depart-ment’s Division of Geology and Land Survey.Price thought the idea made sense and begandiscussions with John Schumacher, a hydrolo-gist with the U.S. Geological Survey. A project

12 Missouri Resources

Managing R a dionucl idesNew Strategies Protect Drinking Water and District Budgetsby Susan Bloomer

Dan Mugel, U.S. Ge-ological Survey, col-lects a water sample

from Farmingtonwell No. 12.

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started taking shape. For the study, they selected two water systems with radionuclidecompliance problems – the City of Farming-ton, located in the St. Francois Mountains re-gion of southeast Missouri, and Boone CountyPublic Water System District No. 9, located incentral Missouri.

Both systems faced major costs to removeradionuclides, as well as waste disposal issues.Also, several other radionuclide violating sys-tems are located in these areas. The Depart-ment hoped the information gained from thesetwo systems might be applicable to other sys-tems in their respective areas.

Officials from Farmington and BoonePWSD No. 9 were enthusiastic about thestudy. After all, they and their customers had adirect financial stake in the outcome. Their co-operation was crucial because it was necessaryto take the wells off-line for several weeks.Timing was critical so as not to cause a serviceinterruption for customers. Roger Ballew,manager of Boone No. 9 said, “We were happyto participate because we saw this as potential-ly having a big payoff for us.”

Field work began in the summer of 2007,first in Farmington and later in Boone County.After the pumps were pulled from the wells,the geologists took a host of measurementsusing sensitive logging equipment. They thenused packers – inflatable, balloon-like devicesinserted into the well – to seal off one part ofthe well from another. This allowed discreetsamples to be taken from different levels upand down the well. These samples were ana-lyzed for radionuclides and other chemicals.The data were then compared with known in-formation about the geologic formations inter-sected by the wells.

At Farmington, the geologists succeeded inlocating the zones that were producing

radionuclides. Unfortunately, those samezones generated the most water. Sealing offthose zones would render the wells almostuseless. At Boone No. 9, however, the ra-dionuclide-producing zones were not the onlywater-producing horizons. The zones were atthe bottom of the well, which meant that sim-ply plugging the bottom of the well would po-tentially solve the problem. This informationwas provided to Ballew, who hired a contrac-tor to put a plug in the bottom of the well.

To date, all water samples taken fromBoone No. 9’s well show it to be in compli-ance with the radionuclide standards. As a re-sult, the system has canceled the equipmentthey were planning to purchase to remove the

radionuclides, saving approximately$1 million and avoiding all theheadaches associated with disposingof the waste.

Department staff are working tosee if the results can be used at otherwater systems in the vicinity of BooneNo. 9. The Department also is com-paring the results of the money-savingstudy with radionuclide-violating sys-tems in southwest Missouri.

The results of Missouri’s radionu-clides study were detailed at the

annual meeting of the National Associ-ation of State Drinking Water Admin-istrators. Subsequently, representativesfrom several states have made in-quiries regarding our program in orderto help them address this nationwidedrinking water protection problem.

The new, lowered standards for ra-dionuclides have made it difficult forsome smaller communities to remainin compliance. Fortunately, many ofthe water systems that have had ra-dionuclide violations in the past arecoming into compliance through a va-riety of means, including installingnew equipment, drilling new wells orblending their water sources. Some have optedout of the business by hooking into larger, re-gional water suppliers.

Several water districts and well drillers inBoone County and other parts of Missourihave used information from Boone No. 9 andFarmington to monitor new well constructionand well rehabilitation.

Hopefully, these new strategies will proveuseful in other districts. Remediating, rather thancapping productive water sources, best servesthe interest of water districts and their customers.The Public Drinking Water Branch has providedadvice and testing services for those drillers andsystems that have requested assistance.

If you have questions about radionuclidesin your water supply, call the Department tollfree at 800-361-4827 and ask for the PublicDrinking Water Branch. The Department’sDrinking Water Watch Web site,[www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/dww/index.html]contains up-to-date information on sampling,compliance history and other information forevery public water system in the state.

Susan Bloomer is a public information spe-cialist with the Department’s Water ProtectionProgram, Public Drinking Water Branch.

Fall 2009 13

The water tower at Boone Coun-ty Public Water System DistrictNo. 9 serves the northern part ofthe county.

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Help Find AbandonedUnderground Tanks

On downtown cor-ners across Mis-souri, buildingsstand vacant be-cause often, aban-doned undergroundpetroleum storage

tanks reside beside and below them.Before these properties may becomeuseful again, they need to be as-sessed to determine the propercleanup action.

The Department of Natural Re-sources will receive more than $3 mil-lion through the American Recoveryand Reinvestment Act to address theseproblem properties. The Departmentwill assess and clean up these aban-doned underground petroleum storagetank sites, allowing the land to againbecome an economically viable andfunctional part of local communities.

The Department is asking Missouricommunities to help identify aban-doned underground petroleum stor-age tanks sites where there is not aclearly identifiable responsible party,often a former owner or operator.When selecting sites to benefit fromthe Recovery Act funds, the Depart-ment also will take into considerationthe planned or potential future use forthese sites. Where there is potential forreuse and redevelopment, includingthe creation of jobs, those will be givena higher priority than sites where thereis not a redevelopment plan.

Abandoned underground storagetanks pose environmental threats andeconomic development barriers forthe redevelopment and reuse of prop-erties. Because of real or perceivedcontamination at these sites, develop-ers, banks and other lending institu-tions are hesitant or unwilling to in-vest in the property.

Assessing and cleaning up thesites will not only provide economicstimulus to the consultants and sub-contractors doing the physical tankwork, but will have farther reachingand positive economic impacts.

To inform the Department of anysites that may need tank closure, as-sessment or cleanup activities, con-tact the Department’s Tanks section at800-361-4827 or 573-751-6822. Youalso can report a tank via e-mail at[tanks.stimulus@dnr.mo.gov].

New Marina Storeat Long Branch SP

Visitors to LongBranch State Parknear Macon willhave a new facilityto enhance theirboating experience –a new marina store. Thestore, which opened in June, is locat-ed adjacent to the boat ramp andbeach in the Bloomington area of thepark on Long Branch Lake.

The store is a one-story 1,150-square-foot building that carries anassortment of convenience itemsalong with fishing, camping and mari-na supplies and live bait. Snacks, icecream and quick lunch items are avail-able as well as soft drinks and a coffeebar. A deck with views of the lake isavailable for lounging or eating. Thenew store complements the existing16-slip boat dock and fuel dock, andis operated by park staff.

The improvement is made possibleby the department’s one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax and with the cooper-ation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers. In addition to the store andboat docks, Long Branch State Parkoffers boat ramps with access to thelake, a sand swimming beach, camp-ground, picnic areas and a scenic trailaround the lake.

Earth Science Week:“Understanding Climate”

Climate is one of themost visible earth sci-ence topics in thenews. Climate affectsus today just as it hasfor millions of years.This is one of many rea-sons the Department of

Natural Resources is partnering withthe American Geological Institute andothers to encourage stewardship ofthe Earth.

“Understanding Climate” was se-lected as the national and internation-al theme of Earth Science Week2009, October 11-17. For 10 years,the Department’s Geology and LandSurvey division has been the lead inmarking the celebration. Division staffwill work with teachers to encouragescience literacy to benefit Missouri-ans and encourage educators tohighlight the earth sciences as a ca-reer choice for students as well asdemonstrate the benefits earth sci-ences bring to the community.

To learn more about Earth ScienceWeek and ways to become involved,including local events and classroomactivities, please visit[www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/].

Mercury Roundup NetsNearly 800 Devices

Department of Natural Re-sources col-lection sitesthroughout the state gathered nearly800 mercury-containing instrumentsand 226 pounds of elemental mercuryduring the Department’s mercuryroundup effort.

Exposure to mercury can cause se-rious health problems, so the removalof mercury-containing instrumentsfrom homes decreases the likelihoodof accidental mercury exposure.

The month-long roundup, held incooperation with more than 90 localfire departments and county health of-fices, collected 509 thermometers, 34medical devices, 252 switches.

The collected items were broughtto Jefferson City, where they weresorted and prepared to be picked upby a state contractor. The mercurywill either be recycled or disposed ofin accordance with hazardous materi-als regulations.

Short-term exposure to high levelsof mercury vapors may cause lung

14 Missouri Resources

News Briefs

damage, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,as well as increases in blood pres-sure or heart rate, skin rashes andeye irritation.

Symptoms from chronic or long-term exposure can develop in just afew weeks. Tremors, decreased eye-hand coordination, memory problems,insomnia and irritability can developquickly. If these symptoms are not cor-rectly identified and exposure is notprevented, permanent nervous systemdamage can occur.

Anyone who has large quantities ofmercury and may have missed theroundup can contact the Depart-ment’s spill line at 573-634-2436 toarrange to have items picked up. Thespill line is also available if you havequestions concerning cleaning up amercury spill at home or work.

Bioreactor LandfillReceives Approval

Department of Natural Resources’Solid Waste Management Programhas issued permits to the city of Co-lumbia to operate Missouri’s firstbioreactor landfill. The bioreactor ispart of an existing landfill, locatednorth of the city, off of Route B, inBoone County.

The facility will allow Missouri togather information on the benefits of abioreactor landfill over the traditionallandfill. As part of the approval, the fa-cility is required to complete addition-al monitoring and testing and mustsubmit an annual report.

A bioreactor landfill accelerates thedecomposition and stabilization ofwaste through the controlled additionof liquids to the waste mass. The de-composition of organic material gen-erates carbon dioxide and methanegases, known as greenhouse gases.The city will use the collectedmethane as fuel to generate electricityat the facility.

The U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency has revised the criteria for mu-nicipal solid waste landfills to allowstates to issue research, developmentand demonstration permits for new

Fall 2009 15

environmental notes

It is never enough to only recycle ma-terials. The recycling symbol, circling ar-rows labeled “reduce, reuse, recycle,” isa closed loop. The key to successful re-cycling efforts, closing the loop, is thepurchase and use of products madefrom recycled materials.

While economic declines have reducedthe demand for recycled material by produc-ers, the recycling industry has continued to col-lect and store these materials with the expecta-tion that this market will improve in 2010 and 2011.

The American Forest and Paper Association recently reported a third year of in-creasing used paper recovery. In 2008, a record 57.4 percent paper recovery ratewas reported, up from 56 percent in 2007 and 53.4 percent in 2006. The increasesare due to more paper being recycled, but also less paper being used nationwide.The AFPA had set a recovery goal of 55 percent by 2012, but have since raised thebar to 60 percent by the same year – providing that the economy cooperates.

One way consumers can save money and save trees during the economicdownturn is by using more recycled-content toilet paper. But people who buy toilettissue for their homes – even those who think of themselves as concerned aboutthe environment – are resistant to toilet tissue made from recycled paper. In 2008,ultra soft tissue manufacturers increased sales by 40 percent in some markets, ac-cording to Information Resources Inc., a marketing research firm.

Surprisingly, in the United States, the largest worldwide market for toilet paper,tissue from 100 percent recycled fibers makes up less than two percent of sales forat-home use among conventional and premium brands. In Europe and Latin Ameri-ca, products with recycled content make up, on average, 20 percent of the residen-tial market, according to experts at the Kimberly-Clark corporation.

However, fluffiness has a price. Toilet tissue can be made at similar cost from re-cycled material, but the softer stuff requires longer fibers from standing trees. Mostlarge manufacturers rely on those fibers. Therefore, millions of trees harvested inNorth America and in Latin American countries, including a percentage of treesfrom rare old-growth forests in Canada, are used for toilet paper. According to RISI,an independent market analysis firm in Bedford, Mass., the pulp from one eucalyp-tus tree, a commonly used tree, produces as many as 1,000 rolls of toilet tissue.Americans use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year.

While brands may differ, 25 percent to 50 percent of the pulp used to make toiletpaper in the U.S. comes from tree farms in South America and the United States.The rest, according to environmental groups, comes from old, second-growthforests. Those trees serve as important absorbers of carbon dioxide, the heat-trap-ping gas linked to global climate change.

Environmentalists also note that turning a tree to paper requires more waterthan turning paper back into fiber, and many brands that use tree pulp use pollut-ing, chlorine-based bleach for whiteness. Tissue made from recycled paper shouldcarry the PCF – processed chlorine free – label.

“No forest of any kind should be used to make toilet paper,” says Dr. Allen Her-shkowitz, a scientist and waste expert with the Natural Resource Defense Council.

Soft For Us, Tough For Trees

News Briefs

and existing landfill units and lateralexpansions. Missouri received ap-proval to implement this rule Jan.16,2007. The research, development anddemonstration rule allows a three yearapproval with up to four extensions fora total of 12 years.

Water Grant forMound Branch

Gov. Jay Nixonannounced theDepartment ofNatural Re-sources has

awarded a $1.16million grant to the

Osage Valley Resource

Conservation & Development Councilin Clinton for the Mound Branch Wa-tershed Evaluation and RestorationProject. This project will improve waterquality and aquatic habitat in MoundBranch, near Butler in Bates County,by increasing dissolved oxygen andreducing ammonia and sediment. Dur-ing tough economic times, this infu-sion of grant funding will help thecouncil protect citizens and the envi-ronment by improving water quality.

The grant will provide training andworkshops for local agricultural pro-ducers and landowners to learn aboutbest management practices and theireffectiveness in reducing pollutantsflowing into Mound Branch.

A project plan will be developed formonitoring water quality at nine siteswithin Mound Branch and its tributar-ies. Water quality parameters to bemonitored include dissolved oxygen,ammonia, total suspended solids,total nitrogen, total phosphorus, pH,temperature, specific conductivity, op-tical brighteners and flow.

The Osage Valley Resource Con-servation & Development Council andits partners will provide a matchingcontribution of $771,335 during thelife of the project bringing the totalcost to $1.93 million.

A Citizens Watershed Committeewas formed to assume local leader-ship responsibilities and assist with

16 Missouri Resources

Letters

Letters intended for publication should be addressed to “Letters,” Missouri Resources, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 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].

young people across the state for more than 100 years. The 4-H Youth Development Program reaches over 100,000 youthin Missouri and is composed of 4-H Clubs, Community YouthDevelopment, special interest programs and school programs.

You can find more information at [www.mo4h.missouri.edu].

Michael G. Hoffmeyer4-H Youth Development EducatorFarmington

In your Spring/Summer 2009 issue, received recently, Inoted a photo of a blast furnace, built in 1857 at the MaramecIron Works near St. James. This really caught my eye as mygreat grandfather, Ambrose Zimmerman, came to Missourifrom Kentucky by way of Ross County, Ohio, to work at theMaramec Iron Ore Works as a stonemason in the early 1840s.

His name is on a ledger sheet from the facility dated 1 Octo-ber 1845, and also on a receipt signed by him dated 13 March,1855. The originals are on file with the Western Historical Man-uscripts Collection at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

So this picture had special meaning to me. I enjoy your magazine.

Bessie M. (Zimmerman) HumeBranson

It is rather confusing. We have been told that mercury toothfillings are safe. Some fillings contain 50 percent mercury.Your article in the Spring/Summer ’09 issue by Larry Archer isinteresting, yet it leaves us wondering how safe mercury is inthe mouth. Are the experts reconsidering the safety?

Jonathan W. YoderWindsor

Editor’s Note:According to the American Dental Association: “Dental

amalgam is a stable alloy made by combining elemental mer-cury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements.Although dental amalgam continues to be a safe, commonlyused restorative material, some concern has been raised be-cause of its mercury content. However, the mercury in amal-gam combines with other metals to render it stable and safe foruse in filling teeth.

“Major U.S. and international scientific and health bodies,including the National Institute of Health, the U.S. Public HealthService, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, theFood and Drug Administration and the World Health Organiza-tion, among others, have been satisfied that dental amalgam isa safe, reliable and effective restorative material.”

This is in response to the Missouri Resources Spring/Sum-mer 2009 Leave No Trace article. I receive this wonderful mag-azine at home and after reading the article, I felt that some clar-ification of the 4-H program would benefit your readers. 4-H isnot recognizable to many, many Missourians. The University ofMissouri, MU Extension, Youth Development Program (4-H)has taught leadership, citizenship, life skills, agriculture, nutri-tion and health, environmental stewardship and technology to

the project. The committee, with assis-tance from technical advisors, will usewatershed modeling and water qualitytrend data to modify project activitieson an annual basis.

U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency Region 7, through the Depart-ment of Natural Resources, has pro-vided funding for these projects underSection 319 of the Clean Water Act.These grants will be administered bythe Department’s Water ProtectionProgram. The Department is commit-ted to working closely with communi-ties and businesses to assist withfunding efforts that improve waterquality in Missouri.

Rocky Lunch forMissouri Travelers

Tasty treats are ondisplay at the Rolla

Visitor Center, I-44Exit 184 and the

St. James VisitorCenter, off I-44 at

Exit 195. However,if you stop by, you will soon realizeyou are in for an experience you willnot forget.

The “food,” known as the“Geoburger Special,” was preparedby the Department of Natural Re-sources’ Division of Geology andLand Survey. The fare is made entire-ly of rocks and minerals. The char-broiled hamburger on display is actu-ally coal. The toasted bun is chert.The piping hot French fries are lime-stone. The cool, refreshing-lookingvanilla-caramel ice cream is chert;the ice is a mix of halite and calcite.You also can feast your eyes ongrapes made of ore. The cheesewedge and fresh bread are sand-stone. The apple slice is barite andthe stemmed glass is filled with icemade of halite and calcite.

There is more to whet the appetiteat the Department’s Ed Clark Museumof Missouri Geology at the DGLS of-fices at 111 Fairgrounds Road, Rolla.A menagerie of native rocks and min-erals, along with geologic maps, a

mastodon tusk, and a short-facedbear make their home in the museum.

Established in 2005, the museum isnamed for Ed Clark, the 13th state ge-ologist who served from 1944-1955.The site is visited annually by hun-

dreds of young people, members ofthe academic community, researchersand citizens from across the world.The museum was funded entirelythrough donations to serve as an edu-cational facility.

Fall 2009 17

Stream Team Notebook

News Briefs

Bob Coffing hasbrought Stream Team2991 a long way since itwas formed in 2006.What started as one manwith a passion for pro-tecting the 8,400-acreLabarque Creek water-shed has now grown to a170 member team – halfof them Coffing recruitedby himself.

Coffing moved to theLabarque Creek area in1978 and began explor-ing the area by hikingthrough it with his son. At the time, he still traveled extensively with his career and had little time to takeon a new project. When he retired, he saw an advertisement for a tour guide atShaw Nature Reserve. While conducting tours, Coffing became very interested inwater quality issues and was inspired to start the Friends of Labarque Creek Wa-tershed Association.

In 2006, Coffing formed Stream Team 2991 and took all the Volunteer WaterQuality Monitoring Workshops, becoming a Level II monitor within the first year.He then recruited his friend and neighbor, Claire Meyners, who also became in-volved with the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring program. Now, Coffing andMeyners have identified nine monitoring sites that they believe are critical to thehealth of the watershed. Coffing also has arranged “Walk and Talk” sessions with-in the Labarque Creek area so interested citizens can join an expert as they walkalong the creek and learn about topics that affect the watershed. So far, he hasarranged programs on geology, stream ecology, and botany, to name a few.

When asked about their favorite aspect of the Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring pro-gram, Meyners said, “I love to get outdoors in the streamand do something that I know has a purpose.” Coffingadded that he loves to see the enthusiasm new recruitshave when they become involved with the program. Nomatter how you look at it, this “dynamic duo” is makinga difference in the Labarque Creek watershed.

Claire Meyners, left, and Bob Coffing prepare todo biological sampling on Labarque Creek. Shehas the rack and he holds the net – standardequipment for stream monitors.

Loving Labarque Creek – Stream Team 2991

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Books and posters about geologyand related topics are available forpurchase at the maps and publica-tions counter. When you visit, bringyour own “solid food” so a Depart-ment geologist can identify your rockor mineral. Additional information isonline at [www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/].

James River Gets$600,000 Grant

Gov. Jay Nixonannounced theMissouri Depart-ment of NaturalResources hasawarded the

James River Basin Partnership a$600,000 grant to preserve and pro-tect the river’s riparian corridor. TheJames River Basin Partnership willprovide a contribution of $400,020over the life of the project bringingthe total cost of the project to morethan $1 million. During tough eco-nomic times, this infusion of grantfunding will help protect citizens andthe environment by preserving andprotecting the James River in south-west Missouri.

The grant will help fund the JamesRiver Riparian Corridor Restorationand Protection project, targetingareas along the James River and itstributaries that have an inadequate ri-parian corridor. This project will im-plement measures to help restore thecorridor to its natural state while offer-ing protection practices through es-tablishing conservation easements. Ariparian corridor is an area of land ad-jacent to a water body. Often vegetat-ed, it provides a buffer between theland and the water. By re-establishingthe riparian vegetation, the partner-ship hopes to improve the naturalecological functions of the river corri-dor, which includes protecting thestream from nonpoint source pollu-tion runoff.

In 2001, the Department completeda Total Maximum Daily Load, orTMDL, for the James River to addressthe impaired section of the river. ATMDL is a study of the impaired waterthat provides a background of thewater and establishes the maximumamount of a pollutant the water canabsorb before its quality is affected.The TMDL can be viewed on the De-partment’s Web site at[www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/tmdl/2347-2362-2365-james-r-tmdl.pdf].

18 Missouri Resources

For news releases on the Web, visit

[www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel/index.html]. For a

complete listing of the department’s upcoming

meetings, hearings and events, visit the depart-

ment’s online calendar at [www.dnr.mo.gov/

calendar/search.do].

The University City Parks Department ran a four-week summer camp atthe Pa He Tsi Group Camp at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park from 1967 to1970. The camp was later moved to the larger Camp Hawthorn until the sum-mer camp program ceased operations in 1975.

At the camp in 1969 were Joe Stone, at left, with guitar, swimming andwater area activities counselor, Alvin Walker, athletics counselor and CalvinLee, a boys’ counselor. Dennis Bresnahan, who provided this photo, was onthe Camp Pa He Tsi staff in 1969 and 1970. All four were 17 to 18 years old atthe time.

The group camp buildings were constructed by the Civilian Conserva-tion Corps in the 1930s, used by the Boy Scouts in the 1940s and ’50s, buttorn down in the late 1970s. The park area and a boat ramp retain the PaHe Tsi name.

Campers were age six to 12. Boys attended for the first two weeks andgirls for the second two weeks.

Send your photo to “Time Exposures,” c/o Missouri Resources, PO Box 176, Jefferson City,MO 65102-0176. All pictures will be returned via insured mail. Pre-1970 environmental andnatural resource photos from Missouri will be considered. Please try to include the dateand location of the picture, a brief description and any related historic details that might beof interest to our readers.

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T he Ozark Trail, a 350-mile long trail traversing southeast Mis-souri from St. Louis to near Arkansas, has a 30-year history of

trail advocates championing its development. Most of these advo-cates have been members of state and federal agencies managingland through which the trail runs. One of its staunchest champions,however, was a man with no government affiliation. John Roth,founder of the Ozark Trail Association, was simply a hiker whowanted to better the trail and dreamed of the day when it wouldrival the Appalachian Trail in popularity.

A frequent trail user, Roth often disapproved of the conditions ofthe Ozark Trail. After one hike in particular, Roth contacted the U.S.Forest Service to complain of downed trees and overgrown weeds.Invited by the Forest Service to assist in trail improvements, Rothshowed up the following day, embarking on his 13-year career asone of the trail’s most committed volunteers.

Wanting to see the Ozark Trail completed, Roth pursued theidea of establishing the Ozark Trail Association (OTA), a not-for-profit volunteer organization that would assist with the develop-ment, maintenance and promotion of the Ozark Trail. Roth present-ed his idea to the Ozark Trail Council, an entity composed of publicland agencies and trail user groups and responsible for establishingguidelines for managing the trail. The council agreed with his con-cept of a volunteer organization dedicated solely to the Ozark Trail.

An entrepreneur who had already founded a successful comput-er consulting firm, Roth was no stranger to the occasionally frus-trating process of establishing an organization “from scratch,” butwas persistent in his efforts. From a grassroots organization of only27 members when it was established in 2002, in 2008 the OTA sawmore than 500 of its volunteers participate in 150 work events and

University of Missouri student Ben Datema was in the mood fora little friendly competition. With the latest in technology and

good, old-fashioned ingenuity, Datema leveraged that competitivespirit into a hands-on lesson on energy conservation for students inseveral residence halls at MU.

Through his work on sustainability issues at the university,Datema learned of a program called Building Dashboard that en-ables building residents to monitor their energy usage online.Datema pitched the idea to the MU Information Technology Com-mittee. The committee was so impressed by Datema’s proposalthat they awarded the student a grant from the Interdisciplinary In-novations Fund to purchase and install the program in MU’s Hatch,Schurz and College Avenue residence halls. Datema demonstratedto members of the committee that this was a great way to meettheir needs for a project that crossed disciplines, made innovativeuse of technology and affected students.

“My general approach is to try to see what the mutually benefi-cial aspects of any project are,” Datema said, “to make sure that allparties benefit and get what they need.”

In addition to securing the grant, Datema serves as project coor-dinator. He credits much of this project’s success to Residential Life,which has helped with many aspects of the project, particularly mar-keting it to students. Frankie D. Minor, director of Residential Life,said they were eager to support a project that encouraged energyefficiency. Schurz measured a 3.4 percent energy reduction duringthe competition, College Avenue measured a 3 percent reductionand Hatch measured a 1.1 percent reduction. The university is con-sidering expanding the program to other residence halls as well.

“We’re excited about the pos-sibilities this will offer and hopethat students embrace it, and usethe information to form good, life-long sustainable practices,”Minor said. “We also give most ofthe credit for making this happento Ben. A lot of people had tocome together to make it work,but he was the inspiration and thedriving force.”

Datema first found inspirationduring his days at Kickapoo HighSchool in Springfield, where biol-ogy teacher Justine Lines taughthim about the impact he could have on environmental issues bytaking positive action.

Datema shared this inspiration with others by helping to foundthe Kickapoo High School Environmental Club. Datema will beworking as an undergraduate assistant in the Mizzou SustainabilityOffice that’s being formed with funding from a newly passed $1 perstudent/per semester sustainability fee. Datema plans to graduatein 2010 with a degree in biology, a minor in business and an envi-ronmental studies certificate.

“I hope that students become more interested in energy conser-vation and more educated about how they can save energy ineveryday life,” Datema said. “We want to empower students tomake a difference with everyday behavior change.”

Ben Datema Empowering Ingenuity

Ben Datema

donate more than 15,000hours in trail maintenanceand construction work.The OTA eventually be-came the chair of theOzark Trail Council.

Many of the OTA workevents occurred at John-son’s Shut-Ins State Parkwhere the Taum Sauk Sec-tion of the Ozark Trail is lo-cated. “John Roth and theOTA have been indispen-sable in our efforts toclean up and rebuild thissection of trail,” said DanPaige, acting director forthe Missouri Departmentof Natural Resources’ Divi-sion of State Parks.

Tragedy occurred in July 2009 when Roth was killed in an acci-dent at his farm near Steelville. Roth’s death has robbed the OzarkTrail of one of its most devoted supporters.

“John’s passion, energy, persistence and commitment to thetrail will be sorely missed,” said Kelley Brent, the Division of StateParks’ trail coordinator.

Despite his death, the Ozark Trail Association, Roth’s most en-during legacy, will continue to work toward fulfilling Roth’s dream ofcompleting the Ozark Trail to the Arkansas border.

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John Roth Ozark Trail Champion

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Fall 2009 19

P icture bountiful water recreation ina beautiful, rural setting. Subtractthe usual crowded tourist compo-

nent, and you have Long Branch StatePark. The gently rolling hills and farm-

land in northern Missouri provide ascenic backdrop and enhance the

peaceful and expansive view of LongBranch Lake, which borders the park.

Miles of shoreline are dotted with quietcoves. The park’s three areas all include

lake access and offer a glimpse of the naturalfeatures that lured settlers to the area.

Before the lake was developed, early set-tlers were attracted by the streams andrivers that carved through the woodlands inthe area. The woodlands were populatedwith hollow trees, which provided homes tohoneybees. A trail through the woods be-came known as the Bee Trace. To retrievethe honey, settlers began chopping the trees,destroying the tree and its colony of bees.Today, bee trees are scarce but portions ofthe Bee Trace area are preserved in the park.

Other remnants of the area’s originalplants and animals are also preserved in thepark. Woodlands of post oak, black oak andshagbark can be found along the flat ridgetops, while the slopes and creek bottomssupport white oak, bur oak, sycamore andsilver maple. Where these forests blend intothe prairie areas, native prairie plants flour-ish. More than half of northern Missouriwas once covered with native prairie.

Today, a trail winds through a 160-acrearea being restored with colorful nativeprairie grasses and plants such as littlebluestem, big bluestem, Indian grass, wildindigo and sensitive brier. Wildlife that callthis forest-prairie region home includewhite-tailed deer, wild turkey, bobwhitequail, red-tailed hawk, raccoon, red fox andmore. Bald eagles are often seen on LongBranch Lake throughout the winter months.

The most popular feature of the park,however, wasn’t here when the early settlersarrived. Long Branch Lake was created in1979 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-

20 Missouri Resources

(Above) Long Branch Lake,in north-central Missouri,

has three boat launch areas.

Resources to Explore

by Jennifer Sieg

swimming beach. Splash in the water ortake in a game of sand volleyball. A changehouse is available for your convenience.Bring along a picnic lunch and spend theday next to the lake. Picnic tables scatteredunder trees and along the lake offer a quietsetting for lunch and a scenic view

You can also plan your next family re-union or get-together with friends at thepark. Two picnic shelters are available torent or can be used free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis if not reserved.Both shelters are equipped with electricity,picnic tables and an outdoor grill. Water andrestroom facilities are nearby. Near one ofthe shelters is a playground, as well as a

Fall 2009 21

neers built a dam on the Little CharitonRiver to control flooding and create recre-ation opportunities. Just as the streams andrivers attracted the early settlers, the lakenow draws people to the area. With its ex-cellent reputation for bass fishing, anglerscome to cast their lines in one of the manysmall, peaceful coves. It is also possible toreel in catfish, walleye and crappie. With 24miles of shoreline, it is easy to find a se-cluded spot on land to sit and fish. The parkboasts a partially covered, accessible fish-ing dock.

Boating and swimming are also popularactivities on the lake. Launch your boat

for a day of fun on the waterfrom one of three paved boatramps in the park. There areno launch fees or horsepow-er restrictions for boats onthe lake. New in 2009 is theLong Branch Marina Store,which carries an assortmentof convenience items alongwith fishing, camping, mari-na supplies and boat fuel.Snacks, ice cream and quicklunch items are available, aswell as soft drinks and a cof-fee bar. A deck with views ofthe lake can be used forlounging or eating.

If you would rather stayashore and play in the water,head to the park’s sand

(Top) A family takes to thewater on Long Branch Lake.(Below) Long Branch StatePark provides shady campsites for recreational vehi-cle owners seeking elec-tric hookups and more se-cluded, walk-in sites for tent campers.

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1.5-mile trail that leads to thelake, where benches await,providing a great spot to sitand watch the day go by.

Turn your visit into amulti-day vacation with a

stay in the wooded camp-ground. Bordering the prairiegrasses and the lake are 83campsites, with 64 offering50-amp electrical hookups forthose preferring some of theluxuries of home. If youwould rather tent camp nes-tled in the woods, you cancarry your camping gear intoone of nine walk-in campsitesnear the lake and be secluded from the restof the world. Four campsites are accessibleto people with disabilities. Hot showers,modern restrooms, a dump station, ice, aplayground and firewood are available. Tomake your camping reservations, call tollfree at 877-422-6766 or go online at[www.mostateparks.com]. Some sites areavailable on a first-come, first-served basis.

The park also features a special-use areaavailable for use by organized youthgroups. This area offers space to set up tentsand includes picnic tables, water, fire ringsand a vault toilet. To reserve this area foryour group, contact the park office.

If you enjoy water recreation and spend-ing time outdoors but don’t like the atmos-

phere of crowded tourist areas, LongBranch State Park may just be the perfectvacation destination for you and your fami-ly or friends.

Long Branch State Park is convenientlylocated just two miles west of the U.S. 63and U.S. 36 junction near Macon in MaconCounty. For more information, contactLong Branch State Park at 660-773-5229 orthe Department of Natural Resources tollfree at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for theDeaf) or visit the Web at[www.mostateparks.com/longbranch.htm].

Jennifer Sieg is an information specialistwith the Department of Natural Resources’Division of State Parks.

22 Missouri Resources

(Right) Brad Yotty andAmanda McDonald, Macon,

walk their dog on a trailnear Long Branch Lake.

(Below) The new park storeoffers a panoramic view of

the lake as well as suppliesfor outdoor adventures.

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C harlie DuCharme studies water.Sounds simple, right? As a hydrolo-

gist for the Missouri Department of NaturalResources’ Water Resources Center,DuCharme’s job is so complex and interest-ing, it’s hard to describe quickly.

A hydrologist is a scientist that studiesthe movement, distribution and circulationof water, on and below the surface of theearth and in the atmosphere. The Depart-ment employs 11 hydrologists, all in theWater Resources Center, an office that helpscommunities and public agencies by provid-ing technical assistance through water re-source monitoring and planning.

After earning a forestry degree andworking as a forester in Colorado,

DuCharme became more interested in theeffects of water on his work.

“As I learned about the importance ofwater in forests, I became fascinated withthe universal importance of water resourcesin everything we do, and also how every-thing we do affects the resource,”DuCharme said. “The availability andmovement of water affects everything, fromdetermining whether a plant species maygrow in a wetland to whether a surfacewater body or underground aquifer will pro-vide enough for a whole region to drink.”

His interests led him to earn another de-gree from Colorado State University, thistime a Bachelor of Science in watershedscience, and to work in 1989 as an environ-

Charles DuCharme uses asonar device to measurewater velocity and estimatethe amount of water flowingin a central Missouri stream.

Fall 2009 23

Career Connection

Charlie DuCharme

by Kerry Cordrayphotographs by Scott Myers

A Watershedof Challenges

mental specialist in the de-partment’s Water ProtectionProgram. Later that year,DuCharme was among thefirst to be hired when the newjob classification for hydrolo-gists was developed by DNR.

Data and study byDuCharme and others in theWater Resources Center oftensupports work throughoutother parts of the Depart-ment. One recent example isDuCharme’s work on theTaum Sauk Water Manage-ment Team, a group of ex-perts working to restore theEast Fork of the Black Riveras close as possible to its nat-ural condition before the2005 catastrophic breach ofthe Taum Sauk Reservoir.Another example wasDuCharme’s study to esti-mate how high and how often the Mississippi Riverwould flood Edward “Ted”and Pat Jones-ConfluencePoint State Park.

“Park designers and man-agers needed to understand

and try to predict floodwater levels and thetiming and duration of those levels so wet-lands could be managed for certain animalsand plants that depend on fluctuating riverlevels,” DuCharme said.

Hydrologic data becomes especially im-portant when an area’s water resourcespresent a challenge because of either flood-ing or drought. DuCharme maintains andproduces a monthly map of Missouri rain-fall data using records from a USDA raingauge network. DuCharme’s study alsohelps the Water Resources Center decidewhere to locate additional instruments forMissouri’s growing network of streamgauges, providing real-time stream-flow

data and adding to the body of historicalknowledge on Missouri streams.

General qualifications for an entry-levelposition as a hydrologist require graduationfrom a college or university with a bache-lor’s degree in hydrology, engineering, geol-ogy, water resources or closely related areas,with at least six semester hours in hydrolo-gy, hydrogeology or closely related subjects.

For more information, call the Depart-ment at 800-361-4827 and ask for theHuman Resources Program.

Kerry Cordray is a division information of-ficer with the Department of Natural Re-sources’ Office of Communications.

24 Missouri Resources

DuCharme examines thegeographic distribution

of stream gauges in Mis-souri while considering

potential locations fornew monitoring sites.

“The availabil ity and movement of water affects everything,

from determining whether a plant species may grow in a wetland

to whether a surface water body or underground acquifer

wil l provide enough … to drink.” – Charlie DuCharme, DNR hydrologist

the burn from the air. The USFSroutinely uses helicopters to igniteprescribed burns on its land butthis was the first time a helicopterhad been used on a burn in a Mis-souri state park. Chemical-filledping pong balls are dropped fromthe helicopter and a chemical reac-tion makes them ignite at calculat-ed times.

Mass ignition allows large tractsof land to be ignited quickly, helpswith smoke dispersal and keepspersonnel out of the area during aburn, increasing safety.

Planning began months in ad-vance of the actual prescribedburn, which involved more than1,300 acres. In addition to theUSFS, the Missouri Department ofConservation assisted DNR withthe burn.

When any prescribed burn isperformed, many conditions, in-

cluding weather, must be ideal.These conditions all occurred inApril 2009, so DNR scheduled aprescribed fire. On the day of theburn, more than 50 staff trained infire management from all threeagencies assisted. Once safetychecks were made and small testfires conducted, the helicopterbegan dropping the spheres to ig-nite the interior. In a very shorttime, the helicopter’s ignitionswere completed and the crews onthe ground completed the workaround the interior.

Because of experience, planningand cooperation among all threeagencies, the prescribed fire wascompleted effectively and safely.

Tim Turpin is a natural resourcesteward with the Department’s Divi-sion of State Parks. Sue Holst is in-formation officer for the division.

One Last Word

Fall 2009 25

Cooperative Effort a Flying SuccessAerial Approach Aids Controlled Burn

by Tim Turpin and Sue Holst

Several agencies implemented the first helicopter-assisted prescribed burn in a Missouri state park.

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A helicopter and the coopera-tion of three resource agen-

cies resulted in the success of thelargest and most complex pre-scribed fire in Missouri state parkhistory at Trail of Tears State Parkin April 2009.

Prescribed fires have been usedby Missouri Department of NaturalResources staff for many years asan effective method of ecologicalmanagement and restoration instate parks. This is routinely per-formed with staff on the ground,igniting and controlling the fires.

In the rugged terrain of Trail ofTears State Park in southeast Mis-souri, wind and ice storms had cre-ated heavy woody debris in the in-terior of the park, making itdifficult to establish fire lines for asafe and effective burn. The solu-tion was to request assistance fromthe U.S. Forest Service to ignite

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