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SPANISH LAKE, Mo.— To better facilitate the setback levee project currently in progress at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will temporarily close the area to all public access beginning Sept. 8.
The closure will remain in effect until further notice and is being done to ensure public safety and to assist the contractor by enabling more efficient completion of the project.
“We’ve determined that closing the area for the time being provided the most efficient path forward to finishing the setback levee and maintaining the safety of our visitors,” said MDC St. Louis Regional Administrator Gary Calvert.
Access to the Columbia Bottom will be restored as soon as an appropriate point is reached in the construction work, Calvert added.
Visitors can check MDC’s Columbia Bottom webpage at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/oJ8 for area updates.
MDC is closely cooperating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on the setback levee project. The new setback levees are being built on the northwest and south sides of the area to protect the Columbia Bottom office, maintenance area, and neighboring properties from flooding.
Unlike traditional levees, setback levees are constructed at a distance from the river that enables the water to meander more naturally, covering more of its natural floodplain during high water events.
The strategy is to work with the natural flooding cycles of the river and recreate the benefits of a healthy flood plain. The project will provide important bottomland habitat for wildlife, flood relief for neighboring areas, and unique recreational opportunities for area users.
The project will reconnect 3,500 acres of the conservation area to the natural floodplain and lessen flood impacts by reducing backups upstream and slowing water velocity downstream. It will minimize flood impacts to area roads as well.
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area is located off Riverview Drive, approximately three miles north of I-270.
