Conservation area on Mississippi, Missouri rivers reopens

ST. LOUIS -- State officials hope that a refurbished conservation area will draw more people to the confluence of the nation's two largest rivers.

The state Department of Conservation on Friday marked the reopening of the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area just north of St. Louis.

The 4,318-acre area was shut down for a year for an overhaul funded by the state, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Park and Recreation District of St. Louis. New amenities include a hiking and biking trail; improved access to the river, including a disabled-accessible boat ramp; and a platform for viewing of the confluence.

The area offers a bit of history -- it is near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark westward expedition. It offers viewing of wildlife, including bald eagles, beaver, and migratory waterfowl, officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation said.

"It's just a gorgeous spot," conservation department spokeswoman Holly Berthold said.

For fishermen, the area offers catfish, sturgeon, drum, walleye and gar. And for hunters, managed hunt opportunities will be available in the fall for white-tail deer and doves. Waterfowl hunting will be offered when the wetland project is completed.

The Confluence Trail, a five-mile hiking/biking trail along the Mississippi River, also ties into the conservation area. The trail will eventually connect to the Katy Trail, a hiking/biking trail along the Missouri River that runs from St. Charles to western Missouri.