JEFFERSON CITY — After years of grappling with the effects of flooding, state officials are giving up on attempting to manage some parts of an urban conservation area in north Ƶ County.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is planning a nearly $30 million remake of the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area to remove portions of existing levees, which will eventually allow the area to flood naturally during high water events.
“This will enable Columbia Bottom to assume its natural ecosystem function of a wetland, to slow, hold, absorb, and dissipate water during flood events,” the agency said in a release.
Known for its fields of sunflowers, duck and dove hunting and bald eagle watching, the 4,318-acre tract has been under state control since 1997.
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While the area has always been prone to flooding, the frequency of major floods has increased over the last decade with high water events occurring in 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
The floods have resulted in lengthy closures of the area, including a six-month closure in 2019.
The decision comes amid concerns about the effects of climate change on the planet, with high temperatures around the globe raising alarm bells among scientists.
At the same time the department announced the changes, flash flooding ravaged the East Coast, while other parts of the country endured threateningly high temperatures and severe air pollution from Canadian wildfires.
Currently, the shows the conservation area to be abnormally dry or in a moderate drought.
Efforts to determine a path forward for the area have met with some resistance.
In 2021, an avid duck hunter from Ƶ launched an online petition drive opposed to changes in the way the state manages the bottomlands.
That effort, led by Christopher Kellogg, who lives about 15 minutes from the area, failed to sway conservation officials to alter plans to limit access and restore damaged levees that create wetlands and help draw waterfowl to the area.
The department also closed the visitor center in 2020 citing low numbers of visitors.
Access to a boat ramp on the Missouri River was restored after the 2019 floods, but some roads, trails and parking lots were closed while officials evaluated whether to fix them or let them return to a natural state.
Under the new plan, Conservation officials plan to spend $27 million to remove damaged levees and construct a setback levee on the south side of the area to help protect downstream neighbors. Of that money, $15 million is coming from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“Going forward, MDC’s strategy will focus on managing the area to work with the natural flooding cycles of the river and cultivate the habitat benefits of a healthy floodplain,” the agency said.
Among other problems caused by the current levee system is a buildup of debris and sediment. At the confluence of North America’s two largest rivers, sediment is 2 to 4 feet deep.
“Efforts to hold back the rivers with levees, repair damage and manage the area for waterfowl hunting are incurring costs to Missouri taxpayers through expenses, MDC staff time and resources that are no longer practical,” the department said.
Officials say one benefit to the new “vision” is connecting the river and wetland habitat during natural flood cycles, which has largely been disconnected across the flood plains.
The plan also will eliminate the need to repair and maintain an aging river pump station previously used to help manage the waterfowl hunting program.
“Future waterfowl management at Columbia Bottom will focus on creating dry field hunting opportunities by planting winter wheat. This will produce opportunistic waterfowl hunting during wet conditions,” the agency said.
Dove hunting at the site will remain a priority through the planting of sunflowers and small grain crops, but the new management strategy also could increase the diversity of birds and wildlife drawn to the area, officials said.
The conservation area is located off Riverview Drive, approximately 3 miles north of Interstate 270.