Various construction projects at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area will alter water levels of the wetland

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (CA) in Boone County expect impacts to area usage in the coming months due to low water levels created by construction efforts on the area. Beginning this month, construction crews will replace the two original electric water pumps that draw water from the Missouri River into the wetland pools. During this construction, MDC staff will be unable to pump any water from the Missouri River onto the area. The pump construction is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2025. While this construction project is in progress, access to the Missouri River parking lot will be prohibited for safety reasons.

In a typical year, Eagle Bluffs CA relies on water pumped from the Missouri River, water from natural sources such as rainfall, and treated water from the City of Columbia’s wastewater treatment facilities. The City of Columbia is also upgrading their infrastructure, and as a result, the treated wastewater is currently being diverted and not sent through Eagle Bluffs CA. The City of Columbia’s wastewater effluent accounts for approximately 12-20% of the area’s full water supply capacity. The city’s project is expected to be completed sometime this spring, and when it is, some limited water management capabilities will be returned to Eagle Bluffs CA.

During the dry conditions caused by these construction projects, MDC staff will have the opportunity to remove sediment from pools 14 and 15 that currently limit water control management in those pools. They also will work on repairing a levee breach in the upper river supply channel. Ultimately, all the aforementioned projects will improve Eagle Bluffs CA water management in the future. To see an updated map of area impacts throughout this project, go to http://short.mdc.mo.gov/49Y