Meramec River Cleanup

The public is invited to join the Dome Life Stream Team
Mid-Meramec River Cleanup Saturday, March 19
starting at 8 a.m.  It includes both land and water trash
cleanups, and invasive plant removal projects
along 26 miles of the Meramec River, followed by a free festival. 

Earlier this week I was up at Maramec Spring for the opening of catch and keep trout season.  Maramec is not the headwaters of the Meramec River (like the springs at Montauk, which are the headwaters of the Current River), but I dd go down and look at where the spings feed into the river and admired it's beauty.  There is some good trout fishing there, and lots of great fishing and other opportunities for outdoor fun on the Meramec, all the way down to where it flows into the Mississippi River.

However, the sprawl of human activity has definitely impacted the water quality of the river - agricultural runoff, illegal dumping, etc. So, fortunately, there are several organizations that make great efforts to remediate some of those impacts.  

Join MDC and partners March 19 for an epic cleanup and festival in Meramec River Watershed

Missouri Stream Teams and Dome Life are organizing a large-scale cleanup event, followed by a festival with food and live music.

ROBERTSVILLE, Mo.—The Meramec River is an aquatic gem in the St. Louis region—a great river for floating, fishing, and recreation.  Part of what makes a great river great is the watershed that surrounds it and feeds it. 

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Missouri Stream Teams, and Dome Life invite the public to be part of an epic cleanup event to help make the Meramec and its watershed a better place, and to a festival after to celebrate the success.

The Dome Life Stream Team Mid-Meramec River Cleanup will take place Saturday, March 19 starting at 8 a.m.  The public is invited to join in this effort that includes both land and water trash cleanups, and invasive plant removal projects along 26 miles of the Meramec River. 

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for all of us to improve the Meramec watershed and its natural communities, and to make the area a better place to recreate, enjoy, and live in,” said MDC Resource Science Aid, Brian Waldrop.

Cleanups and invasive species removals will be held at the following locations.  Participants can choose the one they prefer:

• Robertsville State Park and Access
• Don Robinson State Park
• Route 66 State Park and Access
• Catawissa Conservation Area
• Pacific Palisades Conservation Area and Access
• LaBarque Creek Conservation Area
• Hilda J. Young Conservation Area
• Myron and Sonya Glassberg Family Conservation Area
• Allenton Access

After participants are done with the cleanup, they can enjoy the festival taking place at Robertsville State Park that afternoon and evening.  Visit educational and informational booths, enjoy nature programs and activities for all ages and abilities. There will be food trucks on site offering options for dinner from 3:30-7 p.m., guest speakers, and live local music performances from 7-10 p.m. 

The Dome Life Stream Team Mid-Meramec River Cleanup event and festival are free.  However, participants must register online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4os.  See a list of camping facilities near the event, too.

Robertsville State Park is located of I-44 at 902 State Park Drive in Robertsville. 

As this is an in-person activity, MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.

Celebrate 25 years of Missouri Stream Teams keeping our waters clean

Participate in celebration events to earn prizes while having fun and forming friendships.

JEFFERSON CITY Mo. – In 1988, a small group of anglers got fed up with unsightly trash

disrupting their fishing in Roubidoux Creek. These conservation-minded Missourians decided to clean this section of stream in south-central Missouri. In doing so, they formed the first Missouri Stream Team in 1989. The Roubidoux Fly Fishers Association (Stream Team 1) is still going strong 25 years later. During that time, the Missouri Stream Team Program has grown to more than 4,000 Stream Teams around the state with more than 85,000 volunteers.

The Missouri Stream Team Program is a citizen-led effort to conserve Missouri streams. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM), the Program focuses on education, stewardship, and advocacy for Missouri stream resources.

“The success of the Stream Team Program is a great example of how Missourians care about conserving fish, forests, and wildlife, and how MDC, DNR and CFM work with citizens to conserve our natural resources,” said MDC Fisheries Biologist Amy Meier, one of several Stream Team biologists with the Conservation Department. “Stream Team activities also provide unique opportunities to discover nature in new and exciting ways.”

Meier added that the ongoing work of more than 4,000 stream teams and their more than 85,000 volunteers have made enormous positive impacts on the health of Missouri’s streams over the last 25 years. That work includes volunteers giving more than 2.2 million hours of time, energy and passion, removing more than 10,000 tons (20 million pounds) of trash from Missouri waterways, planting nearly 265,000 trees along streams, conducting more than 25,000 water quality monitoring trips, and stenciling more than 17,000 storm drains.

“Stream Team volunteers have a passion for clean, healthy streams and do amazing work to help improve our streams and other waters so Missourians can enjoy clean drinking water and outstanding recreational opportunities” Meier said.

To celebrate 25 years of education, stewardship and advocacy for Missouri stream resources, the Missouri Stream Team Program is inviting all Teams (and new volunteers) to participate in “25 Days of Stream Team” events around the state. Running from March to October, events include stream cleanups, water monitoring efforts, education activities, storm-drain stenciling, and more. For a calendar of events, visit mostreamteam.org.

“The anniversary celebration is an effort to increase awareness of citizen-led stream conservation efforts, to encourage participation in the many types of activities that Stream Teams perform, to recognize the accomplishments of Stream Teams over the last 25 years, and to demonstrate how Stream Teams benefit our aquatic resources,” Meier said.

She added that participants can track their activities to receive special appreciation items for attending multiple events, and be entered into a drawing for larger prizes at the end of the year.

“Missouri is fortunate to have 110,000 miles of flowing waters, and the Stream Team Program continues to spread the word about keeping them clean, healthy, and safe,” Meier said. “Even seemingly little things citizens do to help streams makes big differences, such as planting trees and native vegetation along streams, picking up litter, performing water-friendly lawn practices, and educating others about the importance of clean water.”

The Stream Team Program is open to anyone in Missouri with an interest in streams and offers a variety of activities for individuals, families, schools, and communities regardless of age, background, or ability. For more information, visit the website at mostreamteam.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/mostreamteams

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