Ozark National Scenic Riverways

[mic]

Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri

From: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/05/pictures/110517-american-river-dam-mississippi-natural-gas/#/most-threatened-rivers-ozarks-riverways_35623_600x450.jpg

The famously beautiful Ozark National Scenic Riverways could crash under the weight of their own popularity, says American Rivers in its annual list.

Together, the riverways host more than 1.3 million visitors a year. In the past 30 years, 13 developed river access points and public campgrounds have expanded to more than 130, connected by mazes of unmanaged dirt roads that bleed suffocating sediment into the river, according to American Rivers.

The National Park Service expects to issue a draft management plan this year

[Al Agnew]

As endangered rivers go, I'm not sure the Current qualifies as one of the top ten, but this designation is always an attention getter. It really ticks me off that the locals fight the road closing proposals so rabidly (and effectively). If I hear one more time about how your grandaddy used that access, or you just want a place to take your family to get away from the heathen outsiders, I think I'll puke. All those so-called roads the locals use are really good for is giving the illegal ATV users a "safe" place to tear up and the illegal trash dumpers an out of sight dump.

[Wayne SW/MO]

It's hardly news, we have been loving our outdoor jewels to death for decades. Anytime you designate an area as unique there will be people who must own and build as close as they can get.

I first visited Table Rock in '62 and last in'10, if I didn't know better I wouldn't know I was on the same lake. I could point out some others, but I'm sure everyone who has a history in this state have personal stories of over loved outdoor treasures.

You can't eliminate the feds as one of the culprits either.

[Gavin]

Hardly news...the Blue Ribbon trout area isnt so bad...there are a couple problem areas...two spots about a mile above Parker see some U.A. 4x4 activity...Cedar to Akers is a frigging mess.....particularly around Medlock, Flying W & Welch...heck my jogger buddy ran our shuttle on a 65 degree day last February...paddled down from Cedar for 2 miles...ran back up, picked up his truck & drove to Akers..and ran back up...had to cross the river once or twice...but most of his run was on 2 track.

[Midwest troutbum]

All one can do is vote, keep active stream management programs under direct leadership of biologist, botanist, wildlife specialist, etc, and play an active role on clean up teams. Education and communication with the public is also a vital role in preventing further stream degradation.

[ollie]

Funny how you open up the river for all and it gets trashed. It really isn't funny, but I have seen this happen in my lifetime to several streams in my area. It's a catch 22 in some ways. Wayne is right in so many ways. Feds and state have open the areas up and promote it heavy for tourism. I mean we want all to enjoy it right? Just look at the Elk on any given Sat. in the summer. What it was and is now are 2 different things.

[junkman]

It might be harder to stop then we think for I was reading the other day somewhere that fishing in Missouri brings in a Billion dollars in revenue each year. I imagine they have known about the problem but with that kind of money at stake, it might be hard to act on making the necessary corrections.

[Midwest troutbum]

It's hardly news, we have been loving our outdoor jewels to death for decades. Anytime you designate an area as unique there will be people who must own and build as close as they can get.

I first visited Table Rock in '62 and last in'10, if I didn't know better I wouldn't know I was on the same lake. I could point out some others, but I'm sure everyone who has a history in this state have personal stories of over loved outdoor treasures.

You can't eliminate the feds as one of the culprits either.

Nicely put. just look at Lake of the Ozarks and the ecological mess that it has become...... In the 60's there were just a handful of resorts, all mostly 2 story family vacation are less. Small cabins were under 2000 sq. ft. Now multistory condos scattered 4 and five deep up the hillside, hotels, mega docks, McMansions etc line the shoreline like it's the next Vegas strip. People now even buy and build on top of bluffs, which were once considered unbuildable. It's the law of the degradation of the commons. Everyone has ties to it, but its nearly impossible to prevent further ecological disaster without drastic measures....It's becoming a great lake for those who have to have the biggest boat and biggest house, car etc...... but to the outdoors person, at this rate it can only seem to get worse.

[Justin Spencer]

Too many people, too few wild places left. Unless we do something to curb population growth (which would hurt our economy) these wild places will continue to get busier. Logging and then ranching in a given watershed has to be a bigger problem than sediment from roads. Like everything, it will take government intervention (like it has in the Ozark scenic riverways) to prevent further degredation of our resources. This goes directly against what it appears public opinion will be in the upcoming elections.

I won't be hypocrite on the issue of stream usage, I need people for my business. I also grew up floating and fishing these rivers. In college I partied on these rivers and got kicked out of campgrounds. I still enjoy floating and taking the kids out, and drinking a few beers while doing so. I would guess many of us have done these things and have matured as we got older. If we are going to allow it for one usage group we have to allow it for all. Local ordinances are the only way to curb some of the bad behavior on these rivers and that once again brings economic issues into play.

Many children's only attachment to the outdoors comes through a family float trip once a year. These kids will hopefully pass it on to their kids keeping some connection to the natural world alive in the cities. Without this attachment another demographic would lose touch with the natural world. Once we lose touch with nature THE WORLD IS DOOMED!

[Outside Bend]

There's a pretty good article on ONSR in the latest Fly Rod & Reel mag, the gist being the park managers seem pretty content with maintaining the status quo. You're going to have tension any time you're managing a resource for more than one user group, but ONSR's mandate is pretty clear: maintain the integrity of the aquatic ecosystem and ensure recreation occurs below the point where the ecosystem is impaired. You look around the Riverways and it isn't difficult to come up with a slew of examples where things could be improved. Ignoring the issues won't make them go away, and IMO there's no time like the present to deal with them, before the situation further erodes. Pun intended

Is anyone heard much about the NGO's involved (MO Coalition for the Environment, et al)? I'm wondering if there's been any suggestion of forcing the Fed's hands with litigation or some other means.