Columbia Bottom Conservation Area
-
The Columbia Bottom Conservation Area is a 4,256-acre (17.22 km2) conservation area located on the south side of the Missouri River at its confluence with the Mississippi River. The conservation area, which is located in eastern St. Louis County, Missouri, north of the city of St. Louis, is operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. One key asset is 6.5-mile (10.5 km) of river frontage for boating, fishing, and birdwatching.[1]
Contents
History and description
The mouth of the Missouri River was at first thought to be a good site for commercial development, and the would-be town of Columbia, Missouri was platted on the south bank of the confluence. However, the wetland character of the site made it sub-optimal for development. At a later point the site was re-platted as St. Vrain, Missouri, but both developments were fated to become ghost towns by 1870, and it is not known how many inhabitants either community had.[2]
Following the failure of the ghost towns, the Columbia Bottom reverted to being wet-footed but fertile farmland. The current conservation area was formed in 1997 as a result of the land condemnations that followed the Great Flood of 1993. Patches of the area continued to be managed by the private sector as agricultural land as of 2011.[1]
The nearest limited access highway exit is Exit 34 on Interstate 270, at the northern tip of the city of St. Louis. From this exit it is 2.8-mile (4.5 km) north on Columbia Bottom Road to the entrance to the conservation area.[1]
Admission to the conservation area was free as of 2011. A parking lot and graveled overlook, completed in 2002, provided access to the river confluence, and a visitor center, completed in 2004, stood close to the entrance.[3]
The conservation area is located across the Missouri River from the Jones-Confluence Point State Park.[1]
Wildlife
While the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area was originally planned as a place for sportspeople to carry out the taking of game animals such as the whitetail deer and Canada goose, the area has proved to be a popular place for wetland birdwatching. For example, the Audubon Society of Missouri operates field trips to the area, with special attention to significant populations of the snowy egret.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d ""Columbia Bottom"". Missouri Department of Conservation. http://mdc.mo.gov/regions/st-louis/columbia-bottom. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
- ^ ""Visitors Guide to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area"". greatriverroad.com. http://www.greatriverroad.com/stlouis/columbiabottom.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
- ^ ""Columbia Bottom Conservation Area"". Missouri Department of Conservation. http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=9736. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
- ^ ""Species Spotlight for Snowy Egret"". Audubon Society of Missouri. http://www.mobirds.org/cache/infoSpecies.asp?specID=70&locID=887. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
Categories:- Ghost towns in Missouri
- Greater St. Louis
- Protected areas on the Mississippi River
- Protected areas established in 1997
- St. Louis County, Missouri
- Protected areas of Missouri
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Columbia River — Coordinates: 46°14′39″N 124°3′29″W / 46.24417°N 124.05806°W / 46.24417; 124.05806 … Wikipedia
Columbia, Maine — Town … Wikipedia
Conservation International — Founder(s) Spencer Beebe, Peter Seligmann Founded 1987 Key people Peter A. Seligmann, Chairman of the board and chief executive officer; Rob Walton, chairman of the executive committee; Russell A. Mittermeier, president; Niels Crone, chief op … Wikipedia
Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science — School of Engineering and Applied Science redirects here. For other uses, see School of Engineering and Applied Science (disambiguation). Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Established … Wikipedia
Marine protected area — Milford Sound, New Zealand is a Strict Marine Reserve (Category Ia) Mitre Peak, the mountain at left, rises 1,692 m (5,551 ft) above the sea.[1] Marine protected areas, like any protected area, are regions in which human activity has… … Wikipedia
Driftless Area — Relief map showing primarily the Minnesota part of the Driftless Area. The wide diagonal river is the Upper Mississippi River. In this area, it forms the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The rivers entering the Mississippi from the west… … Wikipedia
Close To The Edge Provincial Park and Protected Area — is a provincial park and a protected area in British Columbia, Canada. Contents 1 History and conservation 2 Location 3 Size 4 … Wikipedia
Osoyoos, British Columbia — Town of Osoyoos Town of Osoyoos Motto: Canada s warmest welcome[1] … Wikipedia
Kansas City metropolitan area — Kansas City, MO KS Common name: Kansas City Metropolitan Area Largest city Kansas City, Missouri Other cities … Wikipedia
Newtown area graffiti and street art — Since the 1980s, the area around the historic inner Sydney suburb of Newtown, NSW including the suburbs of Newtown, Enmore, Erskineville, Camperdown and St Peters has had works of graffiti and street art placed on local walls.[citation needed]… … Wikipedia
