Trout fishing opportunities return for winter season

The first stocking of the year released more than 750 rainbow trout on November 5 at Island Lake and Carp Lake at Suson Park in south St. Louis County.

While most of the focus this time of year is on hunting, a popular fishing season has opened to provide opportunities for anglers close to home and in their favorite spring and summer streams around the state.

November 14 was opening day for catch and release fishing in Missouri’s four trout parks, and the hatchery raised fish have arrived at several parks in the St. Louis area and from southeast to northwest Missouri.

Closest to home for Jefferson County residents are the two lakes at Suson Park in south St. Louis County. Named Island Lake and Carp Lake, the two side-by-side ponds host many anglers all year long. Both have significant amounts of accessible shoreline.

The two lakes were stocked for the first time on Nov. 5, with 190 rainbow trout released in the smaller Carp Lake and 569 in Island Lake, according to the state Department of Conservation‘s fish stocking hotline: 636-300-9651. The telephone service is updated immediately after each fish delivery. The recording includes the date and number of fish stocked at each lake.

Anglers are limited to using only one fishing pole and may use any type of bait or lure. They must have a valid fishing license, and an annual trout permit is required for those who chose to keep their catch. Anglers have to stop fishing as soon as they catch their daily limit of four fish.

Some special considerations for trout fishing tackle include using very light line and small hooks and weights. Trout feed by both sight and smell, colored and scented baits are popular. Because the hatchery-raised fish have lived and grown on a diet of small brown pellets for their whole lives, locally produced dough baits are effective.

A hand-held dip net is an essential piece of equipment because the light line is prone to breakage as it nears the shore or is pulled out of the water. Ultralight spinning reels and rods are designed to handle the lightweight line that is recommended for trout fishing.

Other St. Louis area lakes that allow anglers to keep their catch throughout the winter season include Boathouse Lake in Carondelet Park, Gendron Lake in St. Ann, Jaunary-Wabash Park lake in Ferguson, O’Fallon Park lake in St. Louis city, Vlasis Park in Ballwin, and lakes 3, 22 and 23 at the August A. Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles County.

Seven other lakes in the program have been stocked for catch-and-release fishing only until January 31. Anglers are limited to one fishing pole and may only use flies, artificial lures and unscented, soft-plastic baits. After February 1 all types of lures and baits may be used by pole and line fishermen.

The catch-and-release lakes include Jefferson Lake in Forest Park, Koeneman Park Lake in Jennings, Tilles Park Lake in St. Louis County, Union City Lake in Franklin County, Walker Lake in Kirkwood, and lakes 7 and 21 at the Busch Conservation Area.

Missouri’s four trout parks also allow catch-and-release fishing through the winter months. From Nov. 14 through Feb. 9 anglers can fish at Meramac Springs near St. James, Bennett Springs at Lebanon, Montauk in Salem, and Roaring River State Park in Cassville. Anglers may only use artificial flies for bait and must have a fishing permit and trout tag.

The catch-and-release season at the trout parks closes in early February to allow time before the annual opening day celebration on March 1.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

LaBarque Creek Conservation Area near Eureka expands

The pristine LaBarque Creek gets more protection with the expansion of the conservation area that bears its name.

A recent purchase expands one of Jefferson County’s most interesting outdoors attractions. The LaBarque Creek Conservation Area near Eureka added 15 acres that includes about a half-mile of the property’s namesake LaBarque Creek.

The land purchase was approved by the state Conservation Commission at its meeting in April and closed in September. According to a press release from the state Department of Conservation, the purchase was made by Open Space STL through donations from the Mysun Charitable Foundation and the Robert Trulaske Jr. Family Foundation.

Protection of the LaBarque Creek watershed is considered a priority in the St. Louis region because of the pristine nature of the area and the diversity of species that call the stream home. A little more than 10 miles long, the tributary of the Meramec River is completely in Jefferson County.

The area outlined in red marks the 15 acres added to the LaBarque Creek Conservation Area.

In addition to the 1,285 acres of watershed in the expanded LaBarque Creek Conservation Area, public property protects land and water that begins at the stream’s headwaters in the adjacent Don Robinson State Park (800 acres). Two other conservation areas near the creek’s confluence with the Meramec River cover almost 2,000 acres, Hilda J. Young (1,300 acres) and Myron and Sonya Glasberg Family (634 acres).

At least 54 species of fish live in the creek, and the biodiversity of other aquatic life is almost three times greater than any of the 15 other Meramec River tributaries below LaBarque, the department press release said.

“Thanks to its incredible ecological diversity and the pristine habitat it provides, LaBarque Creek is a true aquatic gem in our region,” said Gary Calvert, the administrator for the conservation department in the St. Louis area.

Founded as the Open Space Council in 1965, the independent agency works collaboratively with other organizations and government entities to conserve and sustain natural resources.

“This LaBarque Creek Conservation Area expansion builds on Open Space STL and MDC’s shared efforts to protect the LaBarque Creek watershed. We’ve previously partnered to expand nearby Young Conservation Area in 2021,” said Open Space STL executive director Bonnie Harper.

The 15-acre tract was sold by Jenna Walls.

“Our family always felt we were so very lucky to be the stewards of a part of this magical valley, and I personally feel that sharing that magic with others is this land’s greatest purpose,” Walls said. “After watching the MDC for 20 years on LaBarque Conservation Area, I came to understand their care and dedication to preserving natural lands for our beautiful state. They should be the next stewards of this precious area so many can experience its power in perpetuity.”

LaBarque Creek Conservation Area has a three-mile hiking trail that follows the creek for a short distance then climbs the hills with a 300-foot elevation change. The natural surface trail includes several ups and downs before returning to the trailhead at the area parking lot on Valley Drive off Doc Sargent Road about seven miles southwest of Eureka.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Never Lose Touch program encourages people to get outdoors

The sandstone canyon at Don Robinson State Park near Dittmer may be the most peaceful public place in Jefferson County.

An initiative from the state Department of Conservation invites people of all ages to connect with the outdoors or find their way back outside through a number of activities and multi-media opportunities.

Never Lose Touch provides encouragement to people who remember halcyon days in the woods or on the water, and anyone who has watched the wild from afar. Suggestions to get started include new media like smartphone apps, a podcast, a Spotify playlist, and a YouTube channel.

The program is not all electronics-based. Traditional avenues like the free Missouri Conservationist magazine and Discover Nature educational events are still key components. Some hands-on suggestions for maintaining connection with the outdoors include landscaping with native plants and nature journaling.

At the heart of the Never Lose Touch concept are the many health benefits of enjoying the outdoors. The conservation department program announcement recommends a daily dose of nature “to refresh and de-stress” with perceived or proven benefits.

Advantages from visiting a park, the woods, or even your own backyard include reduced blood pressure, a healthier heart rate, and lessened muscle tension; an escape from busy schedules provides a sense of calm and well-being; a brain boost from the fresh air can be “comparable to a cup of coffee”; and a hike in the woods can increase attention span and problem-solving skills, the archived Conservationist article states.

Our ever-present smartphones make capturing images of our outings easier than ever. Conservation department photographer David Stonner offers tips to take better pictures.

“The golden hour is right around sunrise or sunset when the light drops low in the sky,” he says. “Everything starts to glow and the shadows are not as harsh. So searching out the right light and interesting angle on your subject is far more important than whatever equipment you are using.”

Another suggestion from the state announcement of the program is a relatively new Japanese custom that sounds more like an ancient ritual. Forest bathing dates to the 1980s and is about unplugging and breathing in the natural world around you.

“The key is to find a quiet spot to yourself. Take some slow, deep breaths. Clear you mind of distractions and use your senses to take in the sounds, smells, and sights of nature – everything from the daylight streaming through the trees to velvety moss on the rocks and the chatter of birds and other wildlife. Relax and let nature wash over you.”

Jefferson County is blessed by multiple places that make for quick escapes to the outdoors. Peaceful, forested areas can be found at city parks in Arnold, De Soto, Festus, Herculaneum, and Hillsboro. Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial includes a wildflower area, creekside habitat, and glorious high ground for hiking.

Don Robinson State Park near Dittmer is almost all woods with great trails that can take you far away from the daily grind. Labarque Creek, Hilda J. Young, and the Myron and Sonya Glassberg Family conservation areas in the northwest corner of the county extend the area of mostly unspoiled woods from Cedar Hill to the Meramec River.

Although they can get busy anytime of the year, Valley View and Victoria Glades natural areas near Hillsboro provide peaceful isolation most days of the week. Their shared topography make the places unique, and the expansive scenic views are a perfect for soaking up the real world.

Whether your outdoor experiences are memories from a long ago childhood, or you are looking to connect with nature the first time, your mental and physical well-being can be linked to keeping in touch.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Mandatory hunter education has changed with the times

Long-time hunter education coordinator Bill Seibel checks the scores for a young hunter while a long line of others wait to receive their test results at Jefferson College in 1997.

While it may be too soon to call it waxing nostalgic, I have been thinking about the history of hunter education in Missouri. It was not that long ago that this time of year would present a calendar full of opportunities for new hunters to earn their certification.

Jefferson College offered the classes as part of its countywide Continuing Education program and community civic organizations from Selma Village to Pacific would host rooms full of young men and women every spring and fall. Classes held in the last few weeks before an upcoming hunting season would be packed.

What I remember most vividly are the scores of volunteer educators who gave their time and shared their enthusiasm for the sport. Jefferson County had teams of veteran hunters who taught safety and strategies for making every outing enjoyable.

Now the learning takes place through an online portal for most people who need to complete the course before purchasing hunting permits in Missouri and other states. Only young hunters, ages 11 through 15, must complete a skills portion in addition to the computer-based information program.

Those in-person classes are rare these days within 50 miles of Hillsboro, and none are currently scheduled inside the Jefferson County borders. Prior to the opening of the November portion of the firearms season on Nov. 15 there are only two more classes available. One is at the Busch Range on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the closest one to home is planned from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Jay Henges Shooting Range near Eureka.

The hunter education course is required for any hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1967. According to the state Department of Conservation, the program has reduced hunting accidents and deaths by 70 percent since it became mandatory in 1987.

In addition to responsibility and ethics, the course also includes instruction on firearms operations and safety, wildlife identification, game care, first aid skills, hunting techniques, wildlife conservation and management, and regulations specific to hunting in Missouri.

Two versions of the online course are available. A traditional textbook style course costs $24.95 and features hundreds of realistic illustrations and animations. The Interactive Knowledge Course is $39.95 and is more of a dynamic, video game experience built around real-life scenarios and situational challenges.

While the old curmudgeon in me longs for the days of senior citizen volunteers guiding young future hunters, the reality is that today’s teens learn much better through the technology they have grown up alongside.

Children ages 6 through 15 may hunt prior to earning their certification as long as they are in the immediate presence of an adult mentor. The mentor is required to have hunter education certification, and young hunters must be able to hold, aim and shoot the firearm or bow by themselves.

Missouri’s hunter apprentice program allows those older than 16 to hunt with a similarly qualified mentor. An Apprentice Authorization costs $10.50 and allows an inexperienced, non-certified hunter to purchase hunting permits. After two years, the apprentice must complete the hunter education course.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Let’s Go Blues! Hunting and Fishing Night Oct. 21

Whether it’s sitting around the campfire listening to the Cardinals in the summer, or shooting the breeze with the boys in the fall, talking about the latest action on the ice, team sports and outdoors activities easily fit hand-in-hand.

The St. Louis Blues have announced a new theme night that combines the best of both worlds. Hunting and Fishing Night is scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 21, for a game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Fans who purchase theme-night tickets can choose a Blue Note logo cap in hunter’s orange or camouflage. All anglers and outdoor enthusiasts know there is no such thing as too many Day-Glo orange or camo hats. A portion of theme night ticket sales will be donated to conservation efforts.

In addition to action on the ice, representatives from Ducks Unlimited, Quail and Pheasants Forever, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, will be available on site to provide information about their organizations and offer exclusive, enter-to-win prize packages.

For more information or to purchase theme tickets, go to stlouisblues.com/promotions and click the Hunting and Fishing Night link.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Antlerless deer season allows hunters to put management skills to work

Early season antlerless deer hunting helps manage the herd and improves buck hunting chances later in the year.

Hunters who believe that we are the best deer management tool available get their first chance to prove the point this weekend. When the early portion of the antlerless hunting season opens on Friday, Oct. 10, hunters have three days to make a positive difference in many proven ways.

Holding out hope for the once-in-a-lifetime, magazine-cover megabuck is the thing deer hunter dreams are built on, but the real measure of success for keeping deer numbers in check is doe harvest. Taking antlerless deer in the early season can also improve the odds for that big boy showing up in mid-November.

First and foremost, doe harvest provides the true tool for population control. With an estimated statewide population nearing two million, there are few areas where the herd is not overwhelming its habitat. Removing females slows what has been exponential growth. Official estimates at the turn of the century were closer to one million deer in the state.

The National Deer Association offers five solid suggestions for harvesting does early in the season. The article by the organization’s chief communication officer, Lindsay Thomas Jr., was originally published in 2012, but its message resonates still.

1. Early in the season the pressure on all deer is low. The November portion of fall firearms season unleashes a half-million hunters in the woods. “By late season, does may be as wary as bucks, and just when you are ready to start shooting them, you don’t see any,” Thomas says.

2. There is less margin for error. When several antlerless deer are seen together in early October, it is easier to recognize the difference in size between adult does and fawns. While those young-of-the-year button bucks are legal targets, they are not the deer the season was designed to remove.

3. Hunter anticipation is high in October. Most of us have been waiting nearly a whole year for another shot. As autumn stretches into November, enthusiasm begins to chill along with the weather. Summer-like temperatures are not hunter friendly, but the potential for deep freezes in December are even less appealing.

4. Forage distribution was my favorite fact from the NDA article. “An adult doe requires about 6 to 8 percent of its body weight in forage every day,” Thomas says. That’s up to eight pounds of food for a 100-pound doe daily. If she is removed in early October, what she doesn’t eat is available for the deer that remain.

5. What does early doe harvest mean for bucks once breeding season begins?

“Taking does before the rut arrives will change the buck-to-doe ratio and can help intensify competition that year because there are closer to equal numbers of does and bucks,” Thomas wrote. “This means bucks have to be more active to compete for breeding opportunities, so they are more visible, and rut behaviors like chasing and fighting are more common.”

Hunters who put meat in their freezers in October can be more selective in November. Waiting for that big buck is easier when you know there is plenty of sausage already in storage. Other considerations for harvesting antlerless deer this weekend include supporting Share the Harvest deer meat donations and opportunities for expanded chronic wasting disease testing.

The antlerless portions of firearms season are open in all 114 counties in the state except for four in the extreme northwestern tip of the state and 10 in the Bootheel region. In 96 counties, including Jefferson, hunters may purchase and fill up to four antlerless-only firearms hunting permits during all seasons combined.

An any-deer permit for residents costs $18 for hunters 16 and older, and $9 for younger hunters. The antlerless-only permits are $7.50 each for adults and $3.75 for hunters age 15 and under. The late antlerless portion of the season is scheduled for Dec. 6-14. For more information visit mdc.mo.gov.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Deer management open house scheduled in Eureka

Salt and mineral lick sites unnaturally concentrate deer and can facilitate the spread of disease.

The ability of humans to communicate is not unique among animal species. We may be the most advanced at the trick, but in some instances, we could be the worst at it. When I hear song birds singing, crickets chirping, tree frogs trilling, or bull elk bugling, I feel confident that others of their kind are paying attention.

People, on the other hand, sometimes seem more interested in hearing themselves talk rather than actually listening to others. For residents looking for answers about white-tailed deer management in Missouri, the state Department of Conservation is hosting open house sessions throughout the state to hear from people with questions.

Among the 10 scheduled events is a meeting from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, at the Eureka Community Center, 333 Bald Hill Road. In addition to the in-person opportunities, comments about deer management are being accepted online until October 17 at short.mdc.mo.gov/4yd.

“For generations, Missourians have worked together to protect deer and deer hunting,” said Jason Sumners, conservation department director. “Fueled by a shared passion for white-tailed deer, hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts inside and outside MDC have built a healthy, abundant herd. These open houses offer a chance to build on that foundation.”

Conservation department staff will offer presentations on deer management, regulations, chronic wasting disease, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, managing private land, and how the state works with hunters, land owners, and other partners to keep deer healthy.

Visitors are welcome to come and go anytime between 4 and 8 p.m.. and advanced registration is not required. Other locations for meetings in the state include, St. Joseph, Macon, Poplar Bluff and West Plains.

Go and ask questions, but be sure to listen to the answers.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Archery hunters required to purchase separate turkey permit

Permits for hunting wild turkeys in the fall are combined for archery and firearms seasons this year.

Fall turkey hunters this year will experience the biggest regulation change as the seasons open this autumn. Already affected are those who have enjoyed a combined deer and turkey archery hunting opportunity.

For the first time in decades bow and arrow hunters are not being issued two permits for deer and two for turkeys. Rather than continuing to include the most popular game animals together, this year the species are separated with a fall turkey hunting season that combines firearms and archery in a single permit.

Both archery deer and turkey seasons have the same start and end dates, with a pause during the November portion of firearms season, but archery deer hunters no longer have the option to shoot a turkey while waiting for a buck or doe, unless they also purchase the separate turkey hunting permit.

The reality is that very few archers exclusively hunted for turkeys. Most arrow harvests of the birds in the fall were the result of chance encounters. Resident hunters who relish that accidental opportunity will be required to buy the $14 turkey permit, which will also allow them to hunt for turkeys with a shotgun from October 1 through 31.

The season limit for turkeys in the fall is two in the archery and firearms seasons combined. That is half as many as a turkey hunter could shoot last year, but it’s about two more than most hunters have taken annually in the fall. With about 150,000 archery permits issued in 2023, hunters took fewer than 3,000 turkeys.

Archery deer and turkey hunting seasons opened on September 15 and continue until January 15, with the aforementioned break from November 15 through 25. Deer hunters are issued two any-deer permits for $20.50, but can only take only one antlered deer prior to Nov. 15, and hunters may only harvest two antlered deer in the archery and firearms seasons combined.

Missouri resident hunters may take any number of antlerless deer using archery methods with antlerless-only permits, which are available for $7.50 each. Shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset daily. A sunrise and sunset table for Jefferson City is printed in the 2025 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet.

As usual that book includes a summary of “What’s New for 2025?” on its back cover, but surprisingly, the change for archery turkey hunters is not included among the 11 bullet points on the list.

Highlighted changes include the elimination of a restriction against moving deer carcasses from the county of harvest. The rule now says that carcasses must be placed in a trash service that is delivered to a sanitary landfill, or left on the property where the deer was harvested.

Hunters must report their harvests through the Telecheck system before the deer is transported out of the county where it was killed, or before 10 p.m. on the day of harvest, whichever is earliest.

Youth hunters may now take more than one deer (only one antlered deer) during the early youth portion of the firearms season, which is the weekend of November 1 and 2 this year.

Twelve counties have been added to the chronic wasting disease management zone throughout the state, bringing the total to 82 of the state’s 114 counties. The counties included this year are St. Louis, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Daviess, Harrison, Henry, Marion, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Ralls and Texas. Hunters in those counties may now participate in the CWD portion of the firearms season November 26 through 30.

The 76-page annual booklet is available where permits are sold and through the conservation department website at mdc.mo.gov.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Dark cloud of disinformation hovers over deer season

A recent meeting in Jefferson City about chronic wasting disease may be a prototype for future presentations in the state.

Fall deer hunting seasons open on Monday, Sept. 15, in Missouri with dark cloud hanging over the proceedings. The presence of chronic wasting disease is not the cause for the overwhelming concern. It is a virulent misinformation campaign that is dividing hunters, friends and families.

I hold out some hope that I am too close to the situation, and it is not as big as it appears to me, but the more people I talk to, who start our conversations with “what’s the deer season going to be like?” the more I fear we are slipping into a situation where our fellow hunters are becoming our own worst enemies.

The core of this family feud regards the state Department of Conservation‘s efforts to manage the spread of CWD. Now 25 years since wildlife biologists began monitoring the state’s deer herd for the disease and almost 15 seasons since the first documented case, the slow progression should be lauded as a success.

Compared to our neighboring and nearby states, the low prevalence in Missouri is proof that the plan to increase harvests in concentrated locations is working. We can attribute the robust deer and turkey hunting opportunities in Missouri to generations of work by the department with the support of hunters. Now is not a time for distrust.

Within the past few weeks I have been blocked from a social media site for supporting the department. Banning me is certainly the prerogative of the page manager, but what really hurts is that its founder is someone I have considered a personal friend for more than 30 years.

If we isolate ourselves in bubbles – regarding opposing opinions as enemy fire – we are destined for disaster. I am willing to have a rational debate with anyone at anytime regarding the ongoing efforts to reduce the spread of a deadly deer disease.

I’ll start here with a few of the more common refrains I have heard from people who are fighting against the work of the conservation department.

“Don’t trust the government” is a pretty easy mantra to stand behind. It is solid policy regarding politicians and their hand-picked, quid pro quo appointees. Where the axiom veers recklessly into traffic is lumping public servants who rely on scientific and data-based evidence in with the aforementioned miscreants.

From the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to the recently named department director and almost every employee in between, these are people who love and care about the environment and the flora and fauna that inhabit our state.

“Common sense will tell you that killing healthy deer to eliminate a few diseased ones is senseless.” Contrarily, I say it makes no sense, common or otherwise, to disregard years of dedicated study and science in favor of something you heard from someone who knows somebody who says it’s so. Perception may be reality, but it is not verifiable.

Facts are facts, and in Wisconsin, where the disease is epidemic, wildlife managers started with an aggressive approach at containing the disease similar to Missouri’s strategy. They were showing success until public opinion forced a change in plans. Now more than 25 percent of bucks harvested in isolated areas have the disease.

That, some say, proves that it will eventually level off, as if one in four was an acceptable statistic. The reasonable conclusion is that the other three just hadn’t contracted the disease yet, since it’s probable that half of the harvested deer were less than two years old. If they hadn’t been killed, at least one would have had it by the next year. What that leads to is a population of deer that are, as a whole, younger and smaller.

I recently attended a meeting in Jefferson City where a panel of experts answered the concerns and questions of hunters and others in attendance. It was considered a prototype for informational meetings that may be held in the future. I sincerely hope we can get a similar presentation in the Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties area soon.

What struck me hardest at the meeting was the significant number of people whose primary reaction and underlying question was “what does this mean for me?” The future of the resource and the long-term health of the deer population in the state is not a “me and now” situation. I want to know what it means for our grandchildren and those who will inherit what we leave behind.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

Operation Clean Stream continues its work this weekend

For nearly six decades the Open Space Council has been taking to the rivers and creeks around St. Louis to fight the effects of flooding, illegal dumping and careless littering with an army of thousands of dedicated volunteers. More are always welcome.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, participants in the 58th annual Operation Clean Stream will be canoeing, kayaking, and combing the shores, parks and trails along the Meramec River and tributaries throughout its lower watershed.

The Open Space Council of St. Louis has led efforts to cleanup to Meramec River since 1965.

Since 1967 the effort has become one of the most significant and longest running river restoration projects in America. Opportunities abound for involvement in the organization’s mission of “conserving, restoring and sustaining land, water and other natural resources.”

Operation Clean Stream events this weekend include dozens of work sites. While official registration is closed for most of them, extra helping hands are always welcome. You may not get a T-shirt, but you can get the satisfaction of doing something to make a difference.

Local activities include land-based cleanups at Byrnes Mill City Park, Minnie Ha Ha Park in Fenton, Lower Meramec Park, Unger Park, Emmenegger Park, Castlewood State Park, Simpson Park, Pacific, and at Meramec Bottom Road under the Highway 21 bridge. Water-based work is scheduled in Arnold from the Flamm City Access to the Mississippi River, at Simpson Park Lake, Route 66 State Park, from Green Tree Park to George Winter Park, at Allenton Access, from Interstate 44 to Hwy. 30, and as far upstream as Sullivan and Steelville.

Details are available at openspacestl.org. Also on the website are stunning numbers about the amount of garbage Operation Clean Stream has extracted over the years. Since its inception, an estimated 100,000 volunteers have removed 20,000 tires. In 2024 workers found 819 tires and more than 25 tons of trash. The sad news is that the numbers continue to be similar every year.

The Open Space Council is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and its history includes local residents among its founders. Byron Schubel of Jefferson County Abstract in Hillsboro was there with conservation champion Leo Drey and St. Louis attorney Davis Biggs in April 1965 when the area’s first activist environmental group was created.

With a focus on the Meramec River the council helped secure public property along the stream including places like Queeny Park, Bee Tree Park, the Chubb Trail and Castlewood State Park. Public river accesses were established at Allenton, Times Beach and Glencoe.

Other recreation and preservation sites secured through the influence of the Open Space Council include the Edward “Ted” and Pat Jones Confluence State Park and the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area in St. Charles and St. Louis counties where the Missouri and Mississippi rivers come together. Mastodon State Historic Site, Emmeneger Nature Area, Unger Park, Forest 44 Conservation Area, Grant’s Trail and the Great Rivers Greenway District owe their existence in part to efforts of the council and its board members.

Efforts to protect the pristine watershed of the 13-mile LaBarque Creek near Eureka have had Open Space Council assistance including work to purchase the Myron and Sonya Glassberg Family Conservation Area with its stunning panorama overlooking a bend in the Meramec River where LaBarque Creek enters the bigger stream.

For more information on the this weekend’s cleanup and the many other activities the organization does throughout the year to protect the environment and our natural resouces visit openspacestl.org.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.