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Meramec River Basin Summit Set for Sept 20-22

By Guest Contributor

First posted on 09-04-2007

Learn about the history and the future of one of Missouri’s most treasured streams

Twenty-nine years ago, Missourians in the Meramec River Basin voiced their desire to preserve the river and its tributaries as places to paddle, swim and fish. The Meramec River Basin Summit Sept. 20-22 will celebrate that history and explore the river’s future.

In the historic vote, 60 percent of voters in east-central Missouri opposed the idea of damming the Meramec and Bourbeuse rivers. The spirit of citizen activism that led to the rejection of dam plans is more alive than ever today, with several grassroots organizations dedicated to keeping streams clean and developing their recreational potential. Among those is the Meramec River Tributary Alliance.

The alliance, an umbrella group for 40 groups, agencies and sponsors, is sponsoring the Summit. The event will bring together citizen advocates, private landowners and local, state and federal agencies to discuss the Meramec’s place in national stream-conservation efforts.

The summit coincides with the 40th anniversary of Operation Clean Stream, an annual event that has removed hundreds of tons of litter-ranging from tin cans to bank-side clubhouses and automobiles - from the Meramec River. The Open-Space Council founded Operation Clean Stream in 1967, spawning the river renaissance that continues today.

Sessions planned for the summit include presentations by river experts and historians, recreational and economic experts and citizen action groups. Landowners, business people, civic groups, scientists, educators, conservation groups, government planners and anyone with an interest in stream conservation are invited.

Speakers will include American Rivers Vice President Andrew Fahlund, Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers, Missouri Department of Conservation Fisheries Division Chief Steve Eder, Living Lands and Waters founder Chad Pregracke and dozens of other government planners and conservation leaders.

Participants will be able to choose from field trips that include:
--Onondaga Cave
--The Wurdack Farm Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station
--A hike on a section of the Ozark Trail
--A float on the Meramec River
--A demonstration of conservation practices at the Dale Murphy farm on the Little Bourbeuse River.

For more information about the alliance and the summit, contact The Open Space Council, PO Box 1468, Ballwin, MO 63022, phone (636) 334-3035, or visit http://www.openspacecouncilstl.org/.

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