Weldon Spring Conservation Area
| Weldon Spring Conservation Area | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | State Conservation Area |
| Location | Boone Township, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA |
| Opened | 1978 |
| Operated by | Missouri Department of Conservation |
| Status | Open all year |
The Weldon Spring Conservation Area, is a 8,398-acre (33.99 km2) conservation area that is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Located in St. Charles County, Missouri [1] The area borders the Missouri river. The M.K.T. Trail and Katy Trail State Park, runs through the Conservation area, but are not considered part of the CA.
History
The area was named for John Weldon, who immigrated to the area in 1796. He acquired a 425-acre (1.72 km2) Spanish Land Grant.
During WWII The U.S. Government acquired the land in order to build a munitions plant.
The area was given to the University of Missouri in 1948.
The Missouri Department of Conservation started acquiring land for the Conservation area in 1978.[1]
Geography
The CA has an area of 8.398.49. The area has numerous limestone cliffs overlooking the Missouri River.[1]
Recreation
The area provides a wide variety of recreational activities.
Fishing
There are several small lakes and streams as well as the Missouri river; which provide fishing opportunities in the CA.[1]
Hiking
There are 29.5 miles (47.5 km) of hiking trails in the CA. This does not include the M.K.T. Trail, which is part of the state park system.[1]
- Lewis Trail - 8.2 miles (13.2 km)
- Clark Trail - 5.3 miles (8.5 km)
- Lost Valley Trail - 10.0 miles (16.1 km)
- Hamburg Trail - 6.0 miles (9.7 km)
Conservation Activities
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Environmental Issues
The area is part of a superfund site, and is currently being decontaminated. TNT and Uranium processing were done on this site.[2]
Military Use
Portions of the Conservation Area were used by the Weldon Spring Ordnance Works. Old bunkers for the storage of TNT dot the area.[3]
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Jefferson City, Missouri. May 2009
- ^ http://www.lm.doe.gov/land/sites/mo/weldon/weldon.htm Department of Energy, Website
- ^ Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area. Jefferson City, Missouri. December 2008
References
- Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Jefferson City, Missouri. May 2009
External links
38°40′30″N 90°46′10″W / 38.67500°N 90.76944°W
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