Missouri Department of Conservation

Columbia Bottom

The flood protection levee began overtopping June 19 and by early July most of the Columbia Bottom area was flooded. As of Aug. 12, we are still draining floodwater from some of the lower pools. Some of the upper pools will have fair to poor moist soil and some millet but the lower pools including the refuge will have very little food. There is no corn in any of the pools and there will be very little tall vegetation of any kind in any of the pools. The flooding and high river levels also delayed repairs and modifications that are needed at our pump station. Hopefully the pump station is operational by mid-October. It is very possible that those repairs will take longer and at this point it is difficult to know how much hunting opportunity we will be able to provide.

Nodaway Valley

Nodaway Valley was completely flooded on June 7-8 due to levee breaks on both the east and west sides. Crops were replanted in early July but the entire west side reflooded again, before the levee could be fixed, on July 25-26. This killed all of the crops and all of the moist soil in the wetland pools. Hunting and duck use on the west side could be poor this year. We hope to start repairs on this levee Aug. 15. On July 25-26 the north portion of the east side partially reflooded, due to preexisting levee breaks upstream. The levee break on the area was 3/4 repaired and prevented extensive deep reflooding of the east side. Some of the crops and moist soil plants survived this flood and hunters should find good hunting opportunities and duck use on the east side of the area. The upstream levee break has yet to be repaired so conditions could change at any time. We still plan to hunt a similar number of hunters each day and the blinds will be available for use.

Bob Brown

Conditions on Bob Brown will be similar to what they have been like during the previous 5-10 years. We experienced no flooding on this area.

Fountain Grove

We have experienced approximately 9 flood events at Fountain Grove this year with the first occurring in early February and the most recent in late July. The west side of the area, which includes Pools 1, 2 and 3, and H and J Pools have been innundated for the majority of the spring and summer. There is no crop in these pools and, as of now, moist soil plant production is anticipated to be poor to fair. The East side of the area has not been overtopped by floodwater but has received backwater flooding. Permittee crop in the Mac 1 and 2 pools is fair to good; however, late planted crop will delay hunting opportunity in these pools. The remaining pools (Mac 3, 4 and 5 and Stinson) were planted to a combination of corn and millet in June; portions of these crops were killed by backwater and replanted to milo in July. Crops in these pools will be poor and moist soil plant production will likely be poor to fair depending on the amount of precipitation we receive in the next month or so.

Phase II of the Fountain Grove wetland renovation project is still pending and will affect hunting opportunity on the west side of the area. We anticipate keeping Pools 1, 2 and 3 and H and J pools as dry as possible so construction activities can proceed if the area dries sufficiently. We do not expect to offer waterfowl hunting in Pools 2 and 3, H pool, J pool, or West Parsons (Pool 1, of course, is refuge). This means no waterfowl blinds for the 2008-09 season. The only waterfowl hunting opportunity we will have will be walk-in type hunting. Similar to last year, we will offer hunting opportunities opportunistically in Pools 2 and 3 if conditions allow; however, we cannot predict where, when, or even if this will happen. We anticipate hunting opportunity on the East side to be similar to past years with the possible exception of delayed hunting opportunity in Mac 1 and 2 due to the late-planted crop.

Swan Lake

Swan Lake has been flooded 9 different times between March and late July. We lost about 80% of our corn crops. The late floods drowned a lot of our millet out and we are not sure at this time how well it is going to come back this late in the game. Because of the flood conditions we have not been able to do any work on our moist soil units, we are hoping to get in and do some work in September if it dries up enough. Because of the wet conditions all summer in our units I do expect a good crop of invertebrates in our wetland units this fall. So there should be a good food source there, things will just look a lot differently than usual.

Grand Pass

At Grand Pass we did not experience any over-bank flooding. However, we did receive moderate amounts of water from rainfall and subsurface seepage from an elevated Missouri River during mid June and early July. Hunters can expect to see minor impacts to permittee corn acres in northern portions of 5 West and Pool 5. Habitat conditions in all other pools are good as in years past.

Four Rivers

Four Rivers experienced 7 out-of-bank flood events on the Little Osage near the area headquarters between early April and mid-June which impacted area staff's ability to plant crops. There is no corn on the area, but later sorghum plantings in Units 1, 2 and 3 will range from fair to good. Moist-soil ranges from good to excellent in Units 1 and 2, and Japanese millet and buckwheat were also planted in several locations. Water management and hunting opportunities in Units 1 and 2 (draw units) should be similar to most years if river conditions are favorable.

The main water-control structure in Unit 3 failed and could affect hunting conditions depending on what the river does prior to repair. The 400 acre aerial seeding of Japanese millet in Units 3 and 4 is doing well and should help the fair to good moist-soil. The amount of huntable water in both units will depend on river conditions. Boat access in Units 3 and 4 will be very limited at current levels.

Montrose

Montrose is so far from the big rivers that there were no flooding problems. However, low water is a chronic issue here in the fall and early winter. As of mid-August the lake is about 6 inches low and falling fast. This will make access to the 7 blinds in the upper end of the lake difficult. The four blinds on the main lake should be in good shape and as of now the 3 blinds in units we pump should be ok too unless we face some fuel/pumping restrictions.

Schell-Osage

Schell-Osage experienced Eight floods so far this year starting on March 19. The area has suffered flood damage to levees, roads, water structures and blinds. Area staff were able to lower pools and started planting millet July 23 and aerial seeded millet Aug. 3. The moist soil foods are very good at this time and may be excellent by duck season. It should be a normal season.

Eagle Bluffs

Eagle Bluffs did not experience over-the-levee flooding but flooded internally from seep water and local heavy rains. Five of the pools peaked well above full pool while four other pools reached full pool which eliminated any seed production from row crops within that zone of water. The moist soil plant response has been good so there is plenty of food for the ducks but there is minimal corn available. The water levels have been too high in front of both American Disabilities Act blinds to grow the food that attracts ducks.

Marais Temps Clair

We avoided flooding at Marais Temps Clair but wet weather and high rivers prevented normal de-watering of the pools. Some of the higher pools were drawn down early in the season and there was a pretty good moist soil response. These pools re-flooded and we have not been able to do any mowing or other disturbance all summer. Some of the lower pools have been deeply flooded all summer and they are very open. Hunting conditions should be fairly normal but food resources are limited.

B.K. Leach

Floodwater topped the drainage district levee June 18, with a river levee breach near Norton Woods about 150 feet long. All of B.K. Leach was flooded, in places 11 feet deep. Wetland levees for the most part were not damaged with the exception of some slight scouring. Most of the area has been drawn down to normal full pool or slightly lower. We are in the process of planting millet with a target of 100 acres. We are seeing some moist soil response, mostly smartweed and some millet. Hunting this fall may be difficult, especially in the Wetland Reserve Program tracts due to the sparse cover.

The water fowl headquarters building sustained significant flood damage and will not be used this year. For the 2008, season the drawing will be held at the shed on the River Slough tract. Directions: From highway 79 go west on highway M for 2.5 miles, turn right on Marre road for 1.1 miles, turn left on B.K. Leach road follow the signs to the waterfowl headquarters.

Ted Shanks

Ted Shanks was completely underwater from mid June until August. We have just started exposing mud flats in early August and are actively seeding millet. There are no crops or moist soil plants on the area at this time. We had two sizable levee breaks on the area, one on the north end and one towards the south end. The north break was repaired as of early August. Prolonged high river levels (at or above flood stage) on the Mississippi through July kept us from any significant drainage on the area until early August. We were also impacted by record high water levels on Mark Twain Lake and as a result they had to start dropping water at a record pace to get the lake down and in turn we took on water from the Salt River side for a few days, further restricting our chance to get rid of water. At the present time we don't expect to provide any blinds and will likely reduce the number of wade and shoot positions as there will be very limited cover across the area. We will try to draw water down to allow us to repair the lower levee and as a result we may have fewer hunting spots on the lower portion of the area. Hunters may be looking at a 50% reduction in hunting opportunity across the area and no blinds. We are planning on planting up to 500 acres of millet, 100 or so acres of buckwheat, and 300 plus acres of winter wheat.

Otter Slough

Otter Slough did not experience any flooding this spring so all conditions are similar to past years.

Ten Mile Pond

Ten Mile completely flooded (around 15-18 foot deep) in March, and lasted until May. We had to reduce the amount of corn that was planted for ducks and geese. With the June flood, our food plots that were scheduled for our west units were again postponed. We were able to plant several acres at the end of July, but it's still too early to tell what those food plots will produced.

Duck Creek

There was extensive damage to Duck Creek, but much has been repaired and will be made ready by waterfowl season. There remains work to be done on the west side of Pool 3 and southernmost access to Mingo's Pool 3; the road there may still be in some stage of repair and there may need to be alternative access routes provided. There are few changes that resulted from flooding. There will be a good mixture of moist soil and grain plantings greeting this year's migration.

We are adding the area formerly known as Dark Cypress Swamp (off highway C) to Duck Creek, renamed the Greenbrier Unit of Duck Creek: 2-4 spots will be available for the Duck Creek draw at this unit, conditions permitting. The area, north of Greenbrier, is under re-construction. Although the entire area was inundated, flooding impacts will not be apparent. We hope to have this area available for hunting by waterfowl season.

Little River

Not available.