KANSAS CITY, Mo., – Two Missouri River Recovery Program sites have been temporarily closed to all public entry: Cranberry Bend project in Saline County and Cora Island project in St. Charles County, Mo. These closures allow construction of habitat improvement projects to commence at these locations to benefit native fish and wildlife resources including the endangered pallid sturgeon.
For safety reasons, all public access at these sites is closed until the construction is complete. Once completed, these areas will be reopened and will provide opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching and nature study. Each site closure is expected to last approximately a year.
The Cora Island Missouri River Recovery Program site is comprised of over 1,200 acres, including over three miles of river frontage from Missouri River miles 3 to 6, located just north of St. Louis in St. Charles County, Mo. The site was purchased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from willing sellers in 2008. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages Cora Island as part of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The Corps of Engineers provides USFWS with funding for operation and maintenance activities on the site through the Missouri River Recovery Program. The primary features of the project will be the construction of two side-channels; one nearly 2.8 miles long and another almost 0.4 miles long. These features should result in approximately 42 acres of aquatic habitat to benefit the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native fish and wildlife along the Missouri River. Construction of the Cora Island project was awarded to Phillips Hardy of Columbia, Mo. The work commenced in December 2014 and is expected to take approximately one year and four months.
The Cranberry Bend Missouri River Recovery Program Site is comprised of approximately 769 acres in Saline County, Mo. on two adjacent pieces of property: one property was purchased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from willing sellers in 2008 and the other was purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000. USFWS is the on-site natural resource management agency and Cranberry Bend is managed as part of their Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The Corps of Engineers provides USFWS with funding for operation and maintenance activities on the site through the Missouri River Recovery Program. The primary features of the project will be the construction of a new side-channel and moving an existing levee further inland. These features will create approximately 41 acres of aquatic habitat to benefit the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native fish and wildlife along the Missouri River. The Cranberry Bend project is being constructed by ESI Contracting Corp of Kansas City, Mo. The work commenced in October 2014 and is expected to take approximately one year.
For more information on the Corps’ Missouri River Recovery Program please visit www.MoRiverRecovery.org.
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Release no. PA-2015-02