Mingo auto tour route won't be open April 1

NEAR PUXICO, Mo. — On Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico, Mo., as with other areas in the region, recent flooding has caused extensive damage to many roads, bridges, and other facilities. While the newly built Boardwalk Nature Trail appears to have withstood the worst of the flood damage, other facilities haven't fared so well. One of the areas damaged extensively is the West Auto Tour Route where much of the roadway has been washed away and undermined in the Cow Creek and Stanley Creek Watersheds along with the Ditch 6 Roadway.

To assure public safety, the Auto Tour Route, scheduled for opening on April 1, will not be opened until complete assessments of damage and repairs can be made. These repairs may take several months according to Refuge Manger Ben Mense.

"The safety of Refuge visitors is our first priority and we'll do our best to open access when all problems are corrected, he said.

Mense asked the public to be patient with Refuge staff and volunteers as repairs are made. He says routes may change or facilities may be closed for inspections or until safety hazards are repaired.

"Right now, we just won't know for sure until the water levels fully recede," Mense adds. "It may be well into the summer months before the Refuge is fully operational again."

In the meantime, the Refuge does remain open to the public and many Refuge events and activities continue through the spring. These activities include wildlife observation along Bluff Road, special events, hiking, fishing, bird watching and photography. Beginning April 1, the Refuge Visitor Center will also open on weekends: Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

For more information on refuge activities, closures, or safety concerns, please contact the Refuge Visitor Center located one mile north of Puxico on Highway 51. The telephone number is 573-222-3589.