Missouri Resources - 2005 Winter

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Winter 2005 Volume 22 Number 1


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(Below) Between 191 4 and1928, the Little River

Drainage Dlstrtct bullt near -ly 1,000 mlles of dltches

and over 300 miles oflevees in the Missouri

Bootheel. The project per -manently transformed over

1 mtlllon acres of swampInto productive farmland.

(Opposite page) The OzarkProdu* Company, Belle -fountaln, Mo., was known

for Its barlte miningIn the 1930s.

cloth bags hanging from the ceiling, a sim-ple air filtering system. Incredibly, thecompany was reclaiming this material - 80percent lead - only because it had econom -ic value, not as a means to prevent air pol -lution from the blue, sooty dust.

Inevitably, a host of degradations besetMissouri's streams. Massive efforts todrain the " swamps " of the Bootheel movedforward in the early 20th century andpoliticians misguidedly espoused thestraightening of rivers as necessary forflood prevention. In March 1904, for exam -ple, Missouri politicians petitioned Con -gress for $1.4 million to " improve " theKansas River. On a smaller scale, theWorld's Fair committee paid workers tostraighten and bury about a mile of theRiver des Peres, which meandered acrossthe 1,300 -acre fairgrounds. Some histori -ans suggest that organizers diverted thestream underground, at Ieast in part, to hideits embarrassingly polluted state and stenchfrom World's Fair attendees.

Water pollution, in fact, had begun topenetrate the public consciousness by1904. The passage of the 1899 Rivers andHarbors Act made it illegal to dumpgarbage and refuse into U.S. waters with -

out a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers per-mit, although this law was intended prima -rily to keep waterways clear for navigation.

High -profile water pollution concernsflowed into Missouri in 1900 after Chicagodiverted its sewage into the Des PlainesRiver in an attempt to protect its LakeMichigan drinking water supply. The DesPlaines drained westward into the Missis -sippi, from which St. Louis drew its drink -ing water, albeit hundreds of miles down -stream. St. Louis sued the state of Illinoisbut a judge dismissed the case, ruling thatthe sewage had been adequately diluted bythe time it reached Missouri.

Trash and garbage plagued urban areasthroughout the 19th century. Until citiesactively intervened with sanitation rules,the accumulating solid waste spawnedscavengers and unhealthy dumps. By theearly 19009, cities had begun to experimentwith new methods of handling refuse. Anewspaper reporter noted that the high-techgarbage crematory at the World's Fairmight also serve as an exhibit that could be

" studied with profit by those municipalitieswho have wrestled with the vexed problemof how to dispose of a city's garbage. "

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Some cities attempted to produce usableenergy by burning wastes, but most of these facilities did not prove successful. Of 180 refuse furnaces installed between 1885and 1908, 102 were abandoned by 1909due to excessive operational costs andcomplaints of noxious smoke.

During that same period, Missouri's na-tive forests, plants and animals also suf -fered. Grandin Mill, in its heyday, the

largest sawmill in the United States, de-voured some 70 acres of Ozark pines eachday. In 1895, a Missouri fish commissionerlamented the depletion of the state's fish,especially by " trammel netters and dyna-miters," still legal methods at the time. De -spite declining fisheries, Missour5 proudlydisplayed some of the state's uniquespecies at the '04 World's Fair, includingan " aquarium of blind fish taken from cavestreams in the Ha Ha Tonka region, " and " a

Kan. In Missouri, theWalrnsley Fish and GameLaw set up the state's firsthunting licenses andbanned the dynamiting of fish. These initiatives con-stituted the first importantsteps on a long journeyleading to sweeping envi-ronmental measures of the

late 20th century.Missouri enjoyed a ban-

ner year in 1904, baskingin the international spot-light as 20 million touristsvisited the World's Fair -over 100,000 per day. Thefair showcased both thecreative genius of man andhis unwitting but relentlessexploitation of natural re-

GrandinMill, in itr heyday,th eIargertjawmillin the UnitedItater,devouredsome70 acre!ofOzarkpine!eachday.monster Mississippi River catfish, as largeas an average-sized man."

With exploitive industries eyeing un-touched resources on some of the na-tion's most pristine and beautiful lands, afew prominent citizens felt compelled to

protest. One of them, President TheodoreRoosevelt, delivered the keynote address atth e dedication of the 1904 S t . LouisWorld's Fair. A few years earlier, in hisfirst message to Congress, Roosevelt ar-gued strenuously for water and forest con -servation. Subsequently, inspired by acamping trip to Yosernite with writer andpreservationist John Muir, he expanded thenational forest system. Roosevelt's prede-cessor, William McKinley, who was assas-sinated at the 1901 World's Fair in Buffalo,also supported an early conservation effort

by signing the Lacey Act in 1900, prohibit-ing the interstate shipment of animals pro-tected by state law. This act applied prima-rily to commercial plume harvesters, whokilled thousands of birds such as egrets andspoonbills for their decorat ive feathers.

Momentum for conservation began togrow. In 1905, Congress established thenation's first wildlife refuge near Wichita,

sources. Fortunately, a gentle but persistentundercurrent of conservation and protec-tion, not readily evident during the fair,had already taken hold by then.

The 1904 World's Fair highlighted,somewhat inadvertantly, the growing list of environmental problems we would face in

the next 100 years. Each scientific andtechnological innovation on display evokeda unique set of resource issues that wouldeventually have to be addressed. A clearconnection had been drawn between envi-ronmental health and economic vitality.

One century later, we can clearly see theenvironmental gains we have made since1904. But even while we celebrate our suc-cesses, we must strive to avoid the compla -cency that history has proven almost in-evitable. Rather, remembering how far wehave come should inspire us to do even

more to protect our precious, and finite,natural resources.

Luring Bullard, o Springfield, is director of the Wutershed Commirtee of the Ozarks, a cit izen - bused organization dedicated tothe protection of pub lic drinking wlzter

sources for the city of Springfield and Greene County.


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by Bryan Hopkinsphotographs by Scott Myers

T he team of fourth -grade teachers atthe New City School in St. Louishad been looking for a new nature -relatedstudy unit for their students. They foundmuch of what they needed while attendinga hands -on Big River educational work -shop, sponsored by the Department of Nat -ural Resources and Living Lands and Wa-ters [http:l/www.dnr.mo.govloac/ river-cleanup.htm].

A unit on rivers was right on track withtheir year -long fourth -grade theme of " Making a Difference. " Information oncommunity -based river cleanups, river his-tory, river issues, tips on how to view theircommunity from a watershed perspectiveand lesson plans were provided at the Oct -ober 2004 workshop.

" We taught kids about the effects, goodand bad, that people living in an area can,and will, have on their rivers, " said Be nGriffiths, one of the New City Schoolfourth -grade instructors.

Soon, Some of the students suggestedthat they could form an organization of

their own-

created for kids, run by kids.Several students gathered on their owntime, during lunches and recess, to dis -cussed the possibilities. The result was thebirth of " River Kids. " Aided by supportfrom the dedicated staff at New CitySchool, the enthusiastic fourth gradershave been nothing short of amazing. Taskssuch as fund raising, logo production, andactivity planning have been distributed

among members. Meetings were arranged,often outside of class. to check progress,make decisions and plan for the future.

The River Kids have become involvedin a variety of activities. They conducted astreambed cleanup of the local Deer Creek a Litzsinger Ecology Center in Ladue, re-

moving several industrial-sized garbage bags full of waste. A portion of the River

Kids participated with their families in alocal cleanup of the River Des Peres, host -ed by the Green Center. The center, head -quartered in University City, offers uniqueand diverse on -site demonstration grounds- gardens, wetlands and even a prairie. Vis -itors can wander the Green Center on theirown, or take classes, offered throughout


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ward "Ted" and Pat Jones -Confluence PointState Park. Six hltndred mes were planted,helping restore the once agricultural flood -plain to its natural state. Two -hundredforty -three of the platings were handledentirely by the 50 students.

"

Almost immediately after we beganteaching our new unit, we began to feel thatwe'd stumbled onto something bigger andmore important than what we initially ex -pected ... we are lucky to teach such an im -passioned group of students, " Griffiths said.

The level of genuine interest in effectingpositive change regarding Missouri's bigrivers has been uplifting from a teacher'sperspective and certainly promising, froman environmental perspective.

River Kids is a young organization, withmuch room to grow. Next year, the teachers

at New City Schools are hoping to expandthe program to other grades and help con -tinue to turn these kids' dreams for cleanerrivers into reality. $A%

Bryan Hopkins is an environmental educa - tion specialist with the department's Out - reach and Assistance Center. Hopkins start -ed the Big Rivers educational workshops.


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Lose T h a t LagoonModern Alternatives to Traditional onsite Wastewater Systems

by Randall J. Milesphotographs by Scott Myers

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"This treatment unit is a time -proventechnology that has been used on largervolume wastewater flows with great suc -cess. These units can be constructed fromlocal materials and are easy to maintain.relative to their level of sophistication, "

said Totten.Packed bed media filters function in

much the same manner -as sand filters.They push primary -treated effluent througha porous media with the same resting peri -od where oxygen enters to provide the aer -ation. Ma ny types of materials can be usedin the bed, such as peat, synthetic geotex-tile fabrics or synthetic foam cubes. Thesematerials, like the sand in a sand filter,serve as the filter unit to host the aerobicbacteria which provide the secondarycleaning of the wastewater. These materialsare not only porous but also require lessarea for the same quality of treatment as asand filter. This leaves a smaller footprinton the residential lot - a prime considera -tion in many lakefront developments withsmall acreages.

T raditionally, most soil absorptionfields use gravity as the major efflu -ent distribution method in final release tothe environment. Because of the home loca -tion and other cultural features on a site,often, only a fraction of the lot is suitablefor the soil absorption field. One of the lat -est technological adaptations is the use of low -pressure distribution timedosing tohigher elevations of the tract. Drip irriga-tion tubing placed in the upper few inchesof d ~ esurface soil is used in this method.The system creates a very clean effluentfrom an aerator, sand filter or a packed bedmedia filter. This process can use areas of the lot not available with gravity distribu -tion. It bbpulses" or " micro -doses " the efflu -ent into a marginal soil receiving site wherethe use of a traditional on -site systemwould not be acceptable. These systemshave the added benefit of irrigating thelandscape where human contact is minimal.

In the past, homeowners and developers

have considered the construction of onsitewastewater dystems a temporary fix until amunicipal system is built - perhaps manyyears later, However, with decreasing fed -eral grants and the increasing lot sizes of

many developments, onsite systems pro-vide an environmentally friendly option.

" These systems do cost more than a tra -ditional septic tank system, but for ade -

quate treatment, these additional featuresare needed for many parts of the state, "

Totten added.As with large -scale municipal systems,

operation and maintenance are critical tomaking individual onsite systems viable forthe lifestyle that more and more Missouri -ans are turning to when they inhabit therural landscape.

Hopefully, when the new rural genera -tion flushes, they will not be thinking thatthe waste is " out of sight, ou t of mind. "

Rather, it will be seen as an integral part of the landscape's water cycle. 3'41

Randall Miles is an associate professor of s d l science at the University of MissouriColumbia. He specializes in soil morpholo - gy and management and is director ofthe Missouri Small Wmtewater Flow Educa - tion and Rwearch Center.


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spent on clubhouse partying or dancing atopen -air dance floors. Old timers say thebeach attracted as many as 10,000 peopleon weekends at the peak of its popularity.

The attendance at Lincoln Beach,Castlewood and the Meramec River wanedduring the post World War TI years. Carsreplaced trains as the main mode of trans -portation and travelers sought out moredistant areas. Castlewood became a quietplace, part residential area and part huntingand fishing camp. Some clubhouses wererenovated for year round use, athers weredemolished and many were left to decay. In1973, after pa r s of decline, large parcelsof the Castlewood area went up for sale.The driving force i n the purchase of thelands that comprise the park was the needfor open space in the greater St. Louis area.A citizen conservation group, the OpenSpace Council, provided leadership and asizeable donation that was key to the acqui -sition of the land by the Missouri Depart -ment of Natural Resources between 1974and 1980. The park was officially dedicat -ed on Oct. 21, 1979. Castlewood State Parkthen became the centerpiece for the Mer-amec River Recreation Association

(MRRA), a not -for -profit organization es-tablished in 1975 for the protection andpreservation of the river corridor.

Although picnicking has replaced club -house partying and the resorts and club -houses have vanished, the natural beauty of the area and access to the Meramec Riverremain, continuing Castlewood StatePark's recreational appeal and popularity topresent -day visitors. Anglers are still ableto find numerous spots to fish for bass, cat&fish, carp, drum and bluegill along fivemiles of river frontage. There is a walk idcarry in river access for launching ca-noes, kayaks and small johnboats. Attrac -tive to families because of its 50 picnicsites and playground. the park also can ac-commodate larger groups. Its two picnicshelters can be reserved for a fee by con -tacting the park office.

The number of trails at the park makehiking still the best way to get around un -less you have your mountain bike or trustysteed. There are 23 miles of multi -use trailsthat transport visitors to different outdoorworlds. whether on foot, on a bicycle or ona horse. The River Scene Trail takes visi -tors along limestone bluffs towering abovethe Meramec River, offering panoramicviews of the river valley and bottomland

forest below. In the floodplains adjacent tothe river, a mixture of bottomland forestdominated by large sycamores and cotton -woods mixes with open areas covered byhuge patches of spring wiIdfiowers such asbluebells; the Stinging Nettle Trail loopsthrough this area. At the center of the park is the spring -fed Kiefer Creek. Sections of Kiefer Creek are paralleled by the Grot-peter and Lone Wolf trails. The creek me-anders through meadows between rollinghills topped by a hardwood forest of oak and hickory. Throughout the park, wildlifeabounds, including white - tailed deer, coy -ote, beaver, raccoon and birds such askingfisher, turkey and great blue heron.

Future plans for Castlewood State Park include expanded trail development. Thepark is part of a larger effort to provide aseries of interconnecting trails along theentire length of the Meramec River corri -dor. As p a a of this effort, new trails at thepark, when completed, will link Castle-wood with other park areas within the Mer-

St. Louis County- -1

(Opposlte page, top andInset) The Lone Wolf trall inCastlewood State Park of -fers majestic vlews of theMeramec River valley. How-ever, guests are encouragedto be cautious whlle taklngIn the view.(Above) Wlth Its extensivetralls system, CastlewoodState Park is very popularwith mountaln blkers likeKen DeBeer of St. Peters.There are 23 miles of multl-use trails wlthln the park.

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amec Greenway, The first Iink was realizedwith the completion of the 2.5 -mile A1 Fos-ter Trail. The trailhead is located on GrandAvenue in the city of Wildwood near theintersection of Highway 109 and Old StateRoad; the trail follows an abandoned rail -road bed that parallels the Meramec Riverthrough Castlewood State Park and Sher -

man Beach County Park. The A1 FosterTrail was developed through a cooperativeendeavor with the city of Wildwood, theDepartment of Natural Resources, St.Louis County Parks, the Meramec River

or Ries Roads from Manchester Road, andis open daily from 7 a.m. to half an hourafter sunset.

For more information contact the park office at 636 -227 -4433 or call the Depart -ment of Natural Resources toll free at1-800 -334 - 6946 (voice), or 1-800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for theDeaf). Information can also be found at theWeb at [www.mostateparks.com].

Richard Love i s the park superintendent atCastlewood State Park.

(Above) The Meramec River,whlch run8 thraugh Castle-wood State Park, continues

to serve as a recreationalresource for canoelsts,

kayakers and fishermen.

(Right) James Wu andGrace Lln, vlshlng artistsfrom Taiwan, enloy the

panoramic vlew from one ofthe park's fimestone

blufftop werlooks.

Recreation Association and The GreatRivers Greenway District.

Whether you like looking at the rem-nants of the past, escaping the bustle of modern life, giving yourself a workoutor viewing nature and all of its wonders,

Castlewood State Park can accommo -date you and whatever activity youshould cboose.

The park has 1,779 acres availableand is located at the intersection of Kiefer Creek Road and Ries Road inWest St. Louis County. Castlewood StatePark can be reached via Big Bend Roadfrom Highway 141 or via Riefer Creek

u Missouri b u r c e s


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Career Connection

N et GainsWeb Maintainer is a Designing Womanby Candy Schilling

.:?& ... .. -ir a u... -ch ;y.-,

. ...

photographs by Scott Myers

Mention the words, " computer -savvytechnophile " and the first imagethat springs t i mind might be a malewith poor eyesight and even poorer peopleskills. Fortunately, those stereotypes arefading fast in today's computer -dependentsociety and workplace. The Department of Natural Resources is no exception. Thereare 74 cornguter-related positions scatteredthroughout the department. Of those, 33are filled by women.

Laura Teasley is a Computer Informa -tion Technologist iII (CIT 111) in the WaterProtection Program. She started othe department nearly eight yearsaccountclerk in the Nonpoint SourcP

of the program's planning section. WhenTeasley's three daughters were in gradeschool, she decided it was time she wentback to school herself. Although she chosea program that allowed her to study bothcomputers and accounting, she still wasn'tsure which career path to pursue.

Both professions demand close attentionto detail and can be very challenging.

" Even though I enjoyed the accounting, itwasn't long before I knew that computerswere what I wanted to do in the long term, "

said Teasley.

As a computer Informationtechnologist in the depart -ment's Water ProtectionProgram, Laura Teasleyhelps design and maintainthe program's Web pages.


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gist trainee. Four years of advanced cleri -cal or technical experience with an agencymay be substituted on a year -for -year basis.

" Once you're a trainee, each year of expe -rience makes you eligible for the next stepup," said Teasley.

Teasley says there isn't anything routineabout her job. " I deal with different kindsof issues on a daily basis. " When she start -ed with the department, most of her timewas spent on end -user support. Now, mostof her time is spent on designing and devel -oping the Web and Intranet pages. " I stillhelp out with the end -user support, just notas much, " she said.

According to Teasley, past and presentsupervisors and upper management havesupported and encouraged her to take thetraining and courses to do her job effective -ly. But. they're not the only ones to lend ahand. " You also have all of the computersupport staff throughout the department toask for help. If I have an issue that's nevercome across my desk before, you can al-most Bet that someone else in the depart -ment has. All I have to do is pick up thephone or send out an e-mail. They are vervwilling to help you out, " she said.

Teasley says many opportunities forprofessional growth exist within the de -partment. " I started out as an account clerk,processing payments. Through that experi -ence and taking college courses, I becameeligible for the CIT trainee position. As Igained experience, I was able to work myway u'r, to a CIT 111. The opportunities arethere. I'm a perfect example. "

Laura Teasley spends muchof her tlme developing and

malntalnlng Intranet an dWeb pages for the Water

Pollutlon Control Program.As a computer tech, she

knows her way around theinslde of a computer, as well.(Above rlght) DNR staff and

the general publlc makegood us e of her onllne

handiwork, such asthla Schuyler Cbunty

watershed map. Learn moreabout the status of water

quality In the state byvlsltlng [www.dnr.mo.gov/wpscd/wpcp/index.html].

curity, benefits and the flexibility to takecare of my family. "

Many people view their work at the de -partment as more than just a job. They be-lieve that what they do helps the environ -ment as well. They feel, regardless of the

job description, the work seems more satis-fying than punching a clock in the privatesector. While Teasley was working for theNonpoint Source Unit, going along on sitevisits was one of her favorite parts of the job. " When we visited these communitiesand talked with people, I could see for my-self that what we were doing was making adifference, " Teasley said. She laughs whenshe recalls the first time someone men -tioned a watershed. " I was thinking that itactually had something to do with a shed.Boy, have I learned a lot since then. " Forthe record, a watershed is an area of landthat drains into low -lying bodies of water,Watersheds come in all sizes, from millionsof square miles to just a few acres.

" I don't have a science background, butI believe that my learning experiences heregive me some insight into what kind of in-formation people may be interested in.What kinds of questions they ask. 1 like touse the Web to give them those answers, "

Teasley said.A bachelor's degree or an associate of

3 .PO. i s a public information.he department's Water Pro-

Eiil Conservation Division.


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MISSOURI DEPARTMENTOF NANRAL RESOURCES

Jefferson CW, MO 6102-01 761-800-361-4827

Permit No. 442Jefferson C)ty. MO-

Missouri Resources - 2005 Winter

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