Clean Water

Stream Team: Anglers of Missouri

Stream Team #: 439

Date formed: Oct. 15, 1993

Location: Bourbeuse River

For more info about Stream Teams: see the links listed below.

The Anglers of Missouri originated in the early 1940s, soon after formation of the Conservation Department. Legendary conservationist Marlin Perkins was a member, and the group has always advocated for aquatic resources. They own 50 acres along the Bourbeuse River in Franklin County. Their commitment to stream cleanups dates back to 1985, when they hosted one of the first picnics in conjunction with Operation Clean Stream, the state’s longest-running stream cleanup event. They have conducted cleanups on their own stretch of river since 1993. As the amount of trash they found dwindled, they took up water-quality monitoring and now have Level I testing certification. “Missouri Stream Team brings people together,” said team leader Dan Adams. “We are one huge team, basically. You may not know the guys from other ends of the state, but we are doing pretty much the same things.”

River Cleanups

Help keep the ‘great’ in Missouri’s great rivers.

Volunteer cleanups on the Missouri River span the state this year. You can sign up online.

• April 26 in Boone County at the Hartsburg Access.
• June 14 in Franklin County at the Washington City Access.
• Sept. 13 in St. Louis County at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.
• Oct. 4 in Kansas City, location to be announced.

Missouri River Relief and its partners provide work gloves, trash bags, lunch and cleanup supplies. For more information, e-mail riverrelief@riverrelief.org, or call (573) 443-0292.

Scrub That Tub!

Take action to protect our waters.

If you have been putting off routine boat maintenance, zebra mussels are a great incentive to stop procrastinating. The invasive Eurasian clams can damage motors by clogging water intakes. Their presence on boat hulls creates drag, reducing fuel efficiency. If that isn’t enough reason to check for zebra mussels, remember that the fingernail-sized bivalves also can create ecological havoc, cover beaches with sharp shells and foul-smelling debris and add millions of dollars to utility bills by requiring costly prevention and removal from water and electric company equipment. To avoid this:

• Inspect your boat’s submerged surfaces and scrape off any visible zebra mussels.
• Drain water from live wells, bait buckets, motors and other parts of your boat before leaving a body of water.
• Rinse boat, trailer and other equipment at a car wash before moving to new areas.

Learn what to look for by visiting online or by writing to MDC, Zebra Mussels: Missouri’s Most Unwanted, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.