| Fast Facts |
location
south-central Missouri; three hours from St. Louis
ecoregion
Ozarks
project size
2.1 million acres
preserves
Chilton Creek, Thorny Mountain, Shut-in Mountain Fens, Grasshopper Hollow, Bat Cave
partners
Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, University of Missouri, Bat Conservation International, National Wild Turkey Federation, New York Botanical Gardens
conservancy initiatives
Fire, Freshwater
natural events
cold-water canoeing in summer; displays of fall foliage, October | |
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Whether in streams, springs or rivers, water is the lifeblood of the Lower Ozarks, creating a watershed rich in unique but imperiled communities. |
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Big Spring, Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
© G. Alan Nelson |
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Beneath the ancient hills of the Lower Ozarks, water is plentiful, but often unpredictable. Streams sink into their own beds or squeeze into narrow rocky gorges. Springs burst up suddenly from underground torrents, issuing hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day. Frequent rapids make the Eleven Point and Current rivers a mecca for canoeists from around the world.
The riot of water aboveground reflects similar activity below. A complicated natural plumbing system carries cool, clear groundwater for miles, recharging streams and springs. The underground flow also creates unique fen communities—wet, stony ground of grasses and sedges, knee-deep in water, that harbors rare salamanders, wood frogs and dragonflies. Sprawling hardwood forests—the largest solid expanse of woodland in the Midwest—thrive here as well, providing critical habitat for several species of migratory and nesting birds. |
Fire pink and phlox.
© Frank Oberle |
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Despite this richness, two of the region’s native communities—canebrakes and shortleaf pines—are all but gone today. Canebrakes, a form of bamboo that grows along the Current River, were decimated by open-range grazing practices, now illegal, and fire suppression. Most of the shortleaf pines were gone by 1920, felled by a lumber boom |
| in the late 19th century that fueled what was once the world’s largest sawmill. Fire suppression and logging remain threats to the Lower Ozarks’ diversity, along with land conversion for pasture and development. | |
The Nature Conservancy has joined forces with federal agencies and many partners to restore these two habitats and protect the region’s natural systems. With the Mark Twain National Forest, we identified a handful of sites that still harbor shortleaf pine and have the potential to be restored. We began work at the first site in 2002 by removing hardwoods and conducting prescribed burns, and eventually plan to reintroduce the red-cockaded woodpecker and brown-headed nuthatch, two native birds that long ago left these woods. Along the Current River, we are working with the National Park Service to restore three large cane stands, providing crucial nesting habitat for the Swainson’s warbler.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work in Missouri. |
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| Conservation Profile |
targets
canebrakes, shortleaf pine, Swainson’s warbler, fen complexes, Hine’s emerald dragonfly, four-toed salamander, wood frog, gray bat, igneous glade complex, Ozark hellbender, Current River orangethroat darter
stresses
fire suppression, land conversion to pasture and homes, clear-cut logging
strategies
acquire land, promote ecologically compatible land-use practices, protect water quality, restore ecosystems, engage community, restore ecosystems through fire management
results
more than 80,000 acres of upland timber protected; fire reintroduced at Thorny Mountain, opening corridors for collared lizards to migrate from Stegall Mountain | | | | |
