River ADVOCATE

11/30/2022

The Missouri Court of Appeals in Springfield overturned a circuit court judge's 2020 decision.

10/22/2022

People have lived along the Mississippi River and its tributaries for millennia, but levee systems built in response to past disasters aren't designed for the newest risk: increased rainfall caused by climate change.

10/04/2022

Meet us at Shakespeare's Pizza in Downtown Columbia, MO to attend our next installment of Chats for Change. There will be plenty of pizza (of course), drinks and engaging conversation with likeminded Missourians!

Registration is now open, visit our website and join the conversation around the state of our eco-system and the resources necessary to make intentional progress: https://moenvironment.org/events/chats-for-change-columbia/

Hope to see you there!

08/23/2022

08/22/2022

This is amazing! Our friends at USGS River Studies have been working for many years on collecting data about the bed of the Missouri River and how this complex, ever changing system impacts fish habitat in specific reaches of the river.

After many years of turning up images of sand dunes, a few weeks ago they had a big surprise. Their side-scan sonar imagery detected what appears to be the wooden hull of a steamboat between Rocheport and Boonville, MO! Here's their blog post on the discovery - https://www.usgs.gov/centers/columbia-environmental-research-center/comprehensive-sturgeon-research-project-blog-2022

The crews reported it to the USACE and State Historical Preservation Officer and they verified that it was not a known location of a wreck but that it could possibly be one of four wrecks - the HC Coleman (1882 or 1884), the Martha/Mittie Stevens (1890s), Diana (1836), or the Floyd (1920).

There has been an agreement to stop sand dredging within a 1/4 mile of the wreck and with better quality data it might even get listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When the USGS multibeam scanner comes back from the repair shop, they'll be collecting better data and sharing it!

For more about what these crews have learned about the river through their bed mapping studies, check out this link to a 2020 Big Muddy Speaker Series presentation by geologist Carrie Elliott, with links to more data, videos and more - https://www.bigmuddyspeakers.org/2020/05/river-of-sand_carrie-elliott/

02/08/2022

Here is a cool summer opportunity working as a "Big Rivers Aide" with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation. Work with pallid sturgeon recovery, as well as developing techniques to manage invasive carp in the Missouri River and some of its large tributaries. The selected candidate will gain a lot of experience working in fisheries research, using a variety of gears including boat-mounted electrofishing, mini fyke nets, and trotlines. There will also be opportunities to work and job shadow with other MDC professionals (agents, fisheries management biologists, Stream Team staff, assist at the State Fair, etc). Position is based out of Columbia, pay is $16.63 hourly, and we're running a 40 hour workweek from May through August-September. Interested candidates should be able to apply online at: https://jobs.mdc.mo.gov/job/Columbia-Big-Rivers-Aide-Intern-MO-65201/716144100/

01/28/2022

01/05/2022

Online Presentation by Kansas City Regional Director Karen Rouse and Water Protection Director Chris Wieberg, Mo. Dept. of Natural Resources