Elk released from holding pen, calving underway

JEFFERSON CITY Mo – Missouri’s 34 restored elk, plus five new calves, were released June 1 from their three-acre holding site at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Peck Ranch Conservation Area. The release followed final approval of stringent health-testing protocols by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

The Peck Ranch Refuge Area will remain temporarily closed to the public to allow the adult elk and new calves time to acclimate to the area with a minimum of human disturbance.

Courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

MDC staff believe that additional cows remain pregnant with calving expected anytime.

The 34 adult elk and five newborn calves have been fitted with radio collars as part of a cooperative research project with the University of Missouri. The collars will help researchers track the elks’ health, movement patterns and preferred types of vegetation. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided funds for the collars. The research project is being partially funded by the Wildlife Restoration Program administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Thanks to successful habitat restoration and citizen, landowner and partner support, elk are back in Missouri after more than a century,” said MDC Deputy Director Tom Draper. “Citizens deserve credit and should be proud. We will continue to keep the public informed as this project continues.”

For more information on Missouri’s elk restoration efforts, visit www.MissouriConservation.org and search “elk restoration.”

Tagged bass can yield cash rewards for anglers

Anglers can get $25 or $75 for reporting tagged catches as part of MDC research study.

WEST PLAINS, Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is tagging 1,600 legal-sized smallmouth bass on five rivers in southern Missouri as part of a research project.  Anglers who catch tagged bass can earn $25 or $75 by reporting their catches to MDC researchers.

MDC biologists are tagging smallmouth bass in the Black River, Castor River, Courtois Creek, Current River and the North Fork of the White River, and will continue tagging during the spring season over the next two years.

According to Fisheries Management Biologist John Ackerson, these types of research studies have been successful with other fish species such as catfish and walleye.

“The research project will help biologists learn more about angler catch rates and fish movement in these rivers,” Ackerson said. “Information gained from anglers reporting their tagged catches will help us manage this species, which many Missourians love to fish.”

He explained that tagged bass do not have to be kept to receive a reward.  Anglers may just remove the tag and release the fish. Tags must be returned to the MDC to receive a reward.

To report tagged catches, anglers must call the phone number listed on the tag and provide the following information:

·        Tag number

·        If the fish was kept or released

·        Date of catch

·        Total length of fish

·        Approximate location of catch

For more information on the research project, contact Ackerson at 471-255-9561, extension 275, or John.Ackerson@mdc.mo.gov.

Summer Fun Expo planned June 11 at Crowder State Park

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., May 31, 2011 – Begin your summer of fun with a Summer Fun Expo June 11 at Crowder State Park near Trenton.  The free expo will be held at the beach parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.

The expo will feature nature displays, outdoor recreation demonstrations, face painting, nature crafts and guided nature walks. The event is being held during the Free Fishing Weekend so bring a fishing pole to add to the summer fun.

Crowder State Park is located west of Trenton off Highway 6. For more information, call the park directly at 660-359-6473 or calling the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419(Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).  For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day June 11 in Missouri state parks

rom the 1920s and 1930s. Crafts, face painting, storytelling, music and food make it a perfect day.

            

At Crowder State Park near Trenton, celebrate with the Summer Fun Expo at the beach parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The expo will feature nature displays, outdoor recreation demonstrations, face painting, nature crafts and guided nature walks. The event is being held during the Free Fishing Weekend so bring a fishing pole to add to the summer fun.

           

 If you want to explore the past with a twist of history, you can hunt for fossils at Fossil Day at Mastodon State Historic Site near Imperial. From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the entire family can hunt through fossil-bearing gravel piles to discover a piece of the past. Members of the Eastern Missouri Society for Paleontology will display a variety of fossils spanning the geologic history of Missouri. Guided tours of the former excavation site will be offered.

At Missouri Mines State Historic Site in Park Hills, you can buy, sell, swap or just admire rocks, minerals and fossils at the annual Rock Swap from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  You can also take free tours of the historic site museum. 

In Ste. Genevieve, participate in an old-style French social gathering at Felix Valle House State Historic Site. You can take candlelight tours of the home, watch French folk dancers on the lawn and listen to French folktales in the garden while enjoying refreshments from 7 to 9 p.m.

 Many of the state parks offer interpretive programs every weekend. Be sure to check with individual state parks and sites to see what they might offer. For example, you can learn about reptiles and amphibians at a Hug a Herp program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Prairie State Park near Mindenmines.

            

With so many choices, there is no reason you can’t enjoy time outdoors with your family to celebrate the 2011 National Get Outdoors Day on June 11. All the events are free and open to the public. For more information on state parks and historic sites, call toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) or visitmostateparks.com.

Missouri Department of Conservation Statewide Fishing Report 6/2/2011

PLEASE CHECK REGULATIONS CAREFULLY: Special regulations may apply to designated portions of water bodies; some baits and lures may not be legal for all portions.


CENTRAL REGION (573) 882-8388

    LAKES

Binder: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; largemouth bass good on plastic worms and topwater lures; bluegill good on crickets and worms; channel catfish fair on cut bait and nightcrawlers; all other species slow.




 (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Blind Pony Lake: 67 degrees, normal, dingy; largemouth bass good; sunfish fair on nightcrawlers; all other species slow; the lake is closed to private boats, and bait held or transported in containers with water is prohibited. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Lake of the Ozarks (Bagnell Tailwater): 64 degrees, normal, dingy; black bass slow, try worms and dark colored soft plastics; white bass fair on light colored soft plastics and crappie jigs; crappie fair using minnows and crappie jigs; catfish good on worms, cut shad, and chicken livers.
 (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Lake of the Ozarks (Glaize): 72 degrees, dingy; black bass fair on dark colored soft plastics and buzzbaits; white bass slow, try light colored soft plastics and Rooster Tails; crappie fair on minnows and crappie jigs; catfish good using worms, cut baits and stinkbaits.
 (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Lake of the Ozarks (Gravois): 72 degrees, dingy; catfish good on cicadas; all other species slow.


(Report made on 6/1/2011)

Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua): 72 degrees, muddy; crappie slow, try minnows; white bass fair on spinners; black bass slow, try plastic worms; catfish fair using cut shad.


 (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Lake of the Ozarks (Osage): 72 degrees, dingy; black bass fair on dark colored soft plastics and buzzbaits; white bass slow, try light colored soft plastics and Rooster Tails; crappie fair on minnows and crappie jigs; catfish good using worms, cut baits and stinkbaits.

 (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Little Dixie: 63 degrees, high, muddy; crappie fair on minnows and jigs; bluegill fair on worms and crickets; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers and stinkbaits; largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits; all other species slow.  Area closed to all activity between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

    RIVERS

Lamine: falling, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Missouri (Middle): falling, muddy; channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish fair on cut bait and live baits; all other species slow.
 (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Osage (lower, at Tuscumbia): 56 degrees, normal, dingy; black bass slow, try worms and dark colored soft plastics; white bass fair on light colored soft plastics and crappie jigs; crappie fair using minnows and crappie jigs; catfish good on worms, cut shad, and chicken livers.
 (Report made on 6/2/2011)

----------------------
KANSAS CITY REGION (816) 655-6254

    LAKES

James A. Reed Area: 74 degrees, clear; full pool; bluegill, largemouth bass and redear sunfish good; channel catfish fair; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Montrose: 74 degrees, high, dingy; catfish good; all other species fair; fishing pressure light. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Schell-Osage (Atkinson Lake): 80 degrees, dingy; all species fair. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Schell-Osage (Schell Lake): 83 degrees, dingy; all species fair. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Truman: 70 degrees, high, dingy; crappie fair using jigs and minnows; black bass fair using spinnerbaits and jigs; catfish fair using cut bait or shad; white bass and hybrid bass fair using jigs. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Truman Tailwaters: 70 degrees, dingy; releasing 29,000 cfs; all species fair. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

    RIVERS

Missouri River: high, all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)


NORTHEAST REGION (660) 785-2420

    LAKES

Hunnewell: 78 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass good on Rooster Tails and plastic worms; channel catfish good on doughbait; crappie fair on Little Cleos; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Long Branch: 66 degrees, high, dingy; crappie good on jigs and minnows along rocks and flooded trees; channel catfish good on bluegill, leeches and worms; flathead catfish good on setlines with live bait; hybrid striped bass fair on artificial lures; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Mark Twain: 68 degrees, high, dingy; crappie good on all types of jigs and minnows; channel catfish good on cut bait and nightcrawlers; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Sever: 76 degrees, normal, dingy; crappie good on jigs under bobbers around the dam; channel catfish fair on earthworms; bluegill good on crickets; all other species slow.  (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Thomas Hill: 70 degrees, high, dingy; flathead catfish fair on setlines; small channel catfish fair on live bait; crappie fair on jigs and minnows in the rocks; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

    RIVERS

Mississippi (above St. Louis): 67 degrees, high, muddy; river at flood stage; channel catfish good on crayfish and stinkbait; flathead catfish good on bluegill and sunfish; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Salt (below Mark Twain): 73 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish good on prepared baits; drum good on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)


NORTHWEST REGION (816) 271-3100

    LAKES

Bilby Ranch Lake: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on cut bait; largemouth bass fair; crappie and bluegill good on live bait; walleye fair. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Mozingo: 70 degrees, high, dingy; channel catfish good on cut bait; bluegill good near shore; crappie good over deep brush; largemouth bass good near shore; walleye fair on main lake points. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Paho: 70 degrees, high, dingy; hybrid striped bass good on natural baits; largemouth bass good in vegetation; channel catfish good on natural baits; all other species fair. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Pony Express: 70 degrees, normal, clear; crappie good on jigs; bluegill good on worms; catfish good on chicken livers; all other species fair.  (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Smithville: 69 degrees, muddy; crappie fair, fish are moving back into deeper water and cover, biting on minnows and jigs in deeper tree cover near bay entrances; largemouth bass fair in shallow water on a wide variety of lures including spinners, stickbaits and jigs; channel catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, shad, and prepared baits; white bass are fair in the creek arms of the lake on jigs and Road Runners; walleye fair on jigs, worms, and rattle baits on flat lake points. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

    RIVERS

Grand: 59 degrees, falling, dingy; channel catfish and blue catfish good; flathead catfish fair; all other species good. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Missouri (below Iowa line): 67 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)


OZARK REGION (417) 255-9561

    LAKES

Bull Shoals (East): 72 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Norfork: 72 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

    RIVERS

Big Piney (lower, Pulaski Co.): 68 degrees, high, dingy; smallmouth bass and goggle-eye fair on soft plastic baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Big Piney (Upper): 65 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Bryant Creek: 68 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Current: 67 degrees, normal, clear; all species good on soft plastic baits and worms. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Eleven Point: 60 degrees, high, dingy; rainbow trout fair on corn and prepared baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Gasconade (middle, Pulaski Co.): 68 degrees, high, dingy; smallmouth bass and goggle-eye fair on soft plastic baits; channel catfish and drum fair on live baits. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Gasconade (upper): 69 degrees, high, dingy; smallmouth bass and goggle-eye fair on live bait and soft plastic baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Jacks Fork: 66 degrees, falling, clear; all species good on soft plastic baits. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

North Fork: 62 degrees, high, dingy; smallmouth bass and goggle-eye good on soft plastic baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)


SOUTHEAST REGION (573) 290-5858

    LAKES

Clearwater Lake: 79 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Council Bluff: 72 degrees, high, clear; largemouth bass good on dark colored soft plastics and topwater lures during low light; bluegill fair on worms and crickets; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Cypress Lake: 78 degrees, high, dingy; crappie fair in 3' depths using minnows and jigs, mostly smaller fish being caught; bluegill fair in 1'-3' depths using crickets, small jigs, and small pieces of worms; largemouth bass fair in 2'-3' depths on minnows and jigs; channel catfish fair in 2'-3' depths using crickets, worms, and stinkbait; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Duck Creek: 78 degrees, high, clear; warmouth sunfish and redear sunfish fair on jigs; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Lake Girardeau: 64 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass and channel catfish good on nightcrawlers; bluegill and redear sunfish good on crickets; all other species fair. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Perry County Lake: 80 degrees, normal, clear; redear sunfish good on crickets; channel catfish good on worms; largemouth bass good on plastic worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Robert DeLaney Lake: high, dingy; bluegill fair on crickets; channel catfish fair on livers, stinkbaits and worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Wappapello: falling, crappie good on minnows and jigs in the spillway; bluegill good on crickets; largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits; all other species slow.  Call the Wappapello Lake Recreation Hotline for updates at 573-222-8139. (Report made on 6/2/2011)


RIVERS

Black River (near Annapolis): 74 degrees, normal, clear; smallmouth bass and goggle-eye good on plastic baits or live minnows; bluegill fair on live worms; all other species slow.  (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Castor River (above Zalma): normal, dingy; black bass and goggle-eye fair on minnows; all other species slow.   (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Lower Black River (Clearwater Dam): No report available.

Mississippi (below Charleston): high, muddy; channel catfish good on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Mississippi River (Cape Girardeau): 63 degrees, falling, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

St. Francis (above Wappapello): high, dingy; channel catfish fair on large minnows drifted in deeper holes; goggle-eye and redear sunfish fair on red worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

St. Francis (below Wappapello): 67 degrees, high, dingy; channel catfish fair on stinkbaits, worms, and liver; flathead catfish fair on live bait, small bluegill, and goldfish; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)


SOUTHWEST REGION (417) 895-6881

    LAKES

Bull Shoals (West): 68-70 degrees, high, dingy; Dam/Swan Creek area, black bass good on jigs and nightcrawlers; walleye good on jigs and nightcrawlers; Beaver Creek area, black bass good on jigs, soft plastics and nightcrawlers; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Lake Taneycomo: 50 degrees, high, clear; trout good on black or white marabou jigs, black/chrome and blue/chrome Rogues and black or white Rooster Tails, bubblegum or orange Power Baits are working well also. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Pomme de Terre: 71 degrees, water level is 7' high, upper stretches dingy with lower portion of the lake clear; largemouth bass good on plastic baits in submerged vegetation around shore; catfish good on limb lines, trotlines and pole and line using hotdogs, cut shad, and live bait; crappie fair on minnows or jigs over deep structure in 15' to 20' of water; all other species fair. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Stockton: 65 degrees, high, clear; black bass good on crankbaits off banks in 12' of water and Texas rigged in 8' of water; catfish good on nightcrawlers and shrimp; crappie slow, best with tube jigs near the bank in brush piles; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/31/2011)

Table Rock (James River arm): 70 degrees, high, dingy; black bass good on white or white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, also try gray or white grubs on a 1/22 oz. jig; Carolina rigging plastic worms is also producing bites on plum, purple, motor oil or watermelon colored baits; catfish good on pole and line using Yellow Fins, creek chubs, nightcrawlers, stinkbaits and cut bait, trotlines also working well; smallmouth bass good on white or shad colored Super Flukes or Slug-Go; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Table Rock (main lake): 70 degrees, high, dingy; black bass good on white or white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, also try gray or white grubs on a 1/2 oz. jig; Carolina rigging plastic worms is also producing bites on plum, purple, motor oil or watermelon colored baits; catfish good on pole and line using Yellow Fins, creek chubs, nightcrawlers, stinkbaits and cut bait, trotlines also working well; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)


RIVERS

Big Niangua: 57 degrees, high, dingy; water levels still high; black bass slow, best on soft plastics; goggle-eye slow, best on soft plastics and jigs; trout slow, best on natural baits and Power Baits below Bennett Spring; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/31/2011)

James River (lower): 70 degrees, high, muddy; black bass and smallmouth bass good on nightcrawlers and plastic worms at morning and dusk; catfish good on cut bait and nightcrawlers; crappie fair on jigs and minnows; goggle-eye fair on black spinners and minnows. (Report made on 5/31/2011)

----------------------
ST. LOUIS REGION (636) 300-1953

    LAKES

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lake 33: 75 degrees, falling, dingy; bluegill fair on worms; black bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits; catfish fair on stinkbaits and chicken liver; limit 4; crappie good on tube & curly tail jigs and minnows; please remove litter. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lakes 3, 4, 5, 7, and 23: 74 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish good on stinkbaits and chicken liver due to recent stocking; limit 4; bluegill fair on worms; black bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits; limit 4; please remove litter.


(Report made on 6/2/2011)

    RIVERS

Big River: 66 degrees, falling, muddy; channel catfish fair on liver and worms; black bass slow on minnows; carp good on dough balls; crappie slow on minnows; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Bourbeuse (middle, lower, Franklin Co.): 69 degrees, falling, muddy; channel catfish fair on cut bait, worms and blood bait; black bass slow on minnows and crankbaits; bluegill fair on worms and crickets; all other species slow on worms.
 (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Meramec (above Sullivan, Crawford Co.): 67 degrees, falling, muddy; channel catfish good on natural baits; crappie slow; carp good on doughbait; drum good on worms; all other species slow.  (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Meramec (below Eureka): 68 degrees, falling, muddy; black bass slow; channel catfish good on natural baits; crappie slow; carp good on doughbait; drum good on worms. (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Missouri (below New Haven): 66 degrees, falling, muddy;  channel catfish  fair on worms and prepared bait; all other species slow. (Report made on 6/2/2011)


TROUT PARKS

Bennett Spring State Park: 54 degrees, the spring level is near normal and still clearing; Zone 1 and 2 best lures: John Deere colored mini jigs, ginger colored and brown colored bead head Cracklebacks, gingersnap with 8 oz. gold head colored,  red and black colored, red and white colored and black and yellow colored  marabou jigs, black colored with a silver spinner and white colored with a silver spinner Rooster Tails, shrimp colored, chartreuse colored and easter egg colored glo balls; Zone 3 best lures: white with glitter colored and yellow with glitter colored Power Baits, Trout Nip and salmon eggs.   Fishing hours for June are 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weed cutting is planned for June 21 and 22.  We will start around 8 a.m. and finish by 3 p.m.  We will start in Zone 3 and work our way upstream. (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Maramec Spring Park: 56 degrees, falling, dingy; fishing is good; the water is within the banks and dingy due to rains in the area but is slowly clearing up; dough and putty baits are producing good numbers; fish free floating or underneath a float; feather jigs in black/yellow, olive, white, and pink are producing good numbers of fish; fishing hours for the month of June are 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.  (Report made on 6/2/2011)

Montauk State Park: 57 degrees, the river level is 6 inches higher than normal. The water is a little dingy. The river is very fishable. Fishing is good on most baits and flies with bright colors and scented baits working the best.  The best fishing is during the morning and evening hours. June fishing hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.


For up-to-date stream conditions check  http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?07064440 (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Roaring River State Park: 57 degrees, falling, dingy; the river is dropping and should get to a good level by the weekend; plastic worms and power eggs are working very well; use scented baits in zones allowed; spinners are good; Rooster Tail-type spinners in black, brown, olive and bright orange have all been good.

 (Report made on 6/1/2011)

Fishing the Missouri Trout Parks: A Streamside Guide to Bennett Spring State Park, Maramec Spring Park, Montauk State Park, & Roaring River State Park

Lake of the Ozarks testing finds three samples in 45 with elevated E. Coli levels

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JUNE 2, 2011 – Water testing in 13 upper Lake of the Ozark coves Tuesday found three samples out of 45 with an E. coli level in excess of federal standards for public swimming beaches, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today.

In the final year of a five-year program, the department is sampling water from coves in the upper Lake of the Ozarks from the Brown Bend area (Mile Marker 61) to the U.S. Highway 65 bridge (Mile Marker 90). The purpose of the program is to develop a five-year baseline that will assist in future studies of the lake’s health.

Each of the three samples exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended maximum level for swimming areas of 235 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water were located in Benton County:

·        Big Buffalo Creek Cove, 435.2 colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

·        Cole Camp Creek Cove, 261.3 colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

·        Turkey Creek Cove, 238.2 colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

In each case, four other samples taken in the same cove met the EPA standard.

Department staff will be returning to these coves to take follow-up samples. Inspectors from the department’s Southwest Regional Office in Springfield will also begin inspections of permitted facilities within the coves’ watersheds to determine if any of them are contributing to water quality issues.

 All of the coves sampled Tuesday will be tested again monthly through October, including following the Independence Day and Labor Day weekends in July and September. By the end of the season, each cove will be sampled at least six times.

The state water quality standard for swimming and related whole body contact recreation is a geometric mean of 126 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water during the entire recreational season. A geometric mean is a statistical method used to analyze data collected over a period of time. Because the state standard requires data collected over the entire summer before a determination is made, the department reports monthly results as compared to EPA’s single-sample standard of 235 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

E. coli is a bacteria found in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans.  While most strains of E. coli are harmless, some can cause gastrointestinal illness. The testing process used in this study does not differentiate between strains.

These bacteria and other pathogens can reach lake water from many different sources, both human and animal.  For some people, such as children, elderly or those with weakened immune systems, even low levels of these bacteria may cause illness.

The sampling program is a partnership between the Department of Natural Resources, Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance and Ameren UE. Over the course of the program, the department will have collected sampling data from coves from Bagnell Dam to Truman Dam.

A link to a map of the areas being sampled is available on the department’s website at dnr.mo.gov/loz.htm. Monitoring results will be posted to the map as they become available. A department fact sheet on E. coli and the Lake of the Ozarks is also available on the web at dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2239.pdf

Attend the annual Rock Swap June 10-12 at Missouri Mines State Historic Site

 JEFFERSON CITY, MO., MAY  31, 2011 – You can buy, sell, swap or just admire rocks, minerals and fossils at the Missouri Mines Rock Swap June 10-12 at Missouri Mines State Historic Site in Park Hills.  Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the event will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and is open to the public.

            This event will bring together rock hobbyists from across the Midwest and beyond.  Participants will be selling, swapping or buying mineral specimens, fossils, rock jewelry and other rock-related items. There is no charge to attend.

            Also during the three-day event, there will be free admission to the historic site museum, which interprets Missouri’s mining history and displays restored old mining machinery and an outstanding mineral collection.

            The event is co-sponsored by the Mineral Area Gem and Mineral Society and the Greater St. Louis Association of Earth Science Clubs. 

            Missouri Mines State Historic Site is located in Park Hills, on the south side of Highway 32 at the Flat River Drive overpass, 1.5 miles west of U.S. Highway 67.  For more information about the event, call the historic site at 573-431-6226 or the Missouri Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419(Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).  For more information about Missouri’s state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.