Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station

The Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station was established on January 2, 1991, the last field station added to the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP). Operations began with a permanent staff of three, but by June 1991 six permanent personnel were on board to monitor fish, terrestrial vegetation, and water quality.

Water quality monitoring began in March, fisheries monitoring in June, and vegetation research in September 1991. Terrestrial vegetation research begun in the open river reach developed into the terrestrial vegetation monitoring component for the LTRMP. In January 1994, our botanist accepted a position at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) and the terrestrial vegetation component was transferred to Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Terrestrial vegetation monitoring and research is still conducted through the Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station and is coordinated by the Team Leader. In 1991, field station staff were assigned to the Fisheries Division under the Management Section.

The Southeast Missouri District Supervisor supervised the field station, but in 1992 field station supervision was transferred to the Central Office in Jefferson City. Because activities and work conducted by field station staff could be classified as both research and management, much discussion took place over the years as to the appropriate placement of field station staff. In 1997 the Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station was assigned to the Fisheries Research Section and supervised from Columbia. As nearly as tumultuous as the chain of command has been the number of times the field station has moved.

Our first facility was located in downtown Cape Girardeau. Storage space was inadequate, so we added a 4200 square foot storage facility at the downtown location. Department policy in 1993 dictated that we consolidate our operation with other Department programs to reduce costs, which forced us to move to the newly constructed Southeast Missouri Regional Headquarters, also in Cape Girardeau.

By 1995 personnel outgrew the new facility and field station staff were forced to move again, this time to our current location in Jackson. In 1997 the lease expired on the old storage facility in downtown Cape Girardeau, and a new storage facility was constructed at our Jackson location. Current Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station staff are permanent Missouri Department of Conservation employees.

Current staff include the Team Leader, Robert A. Hrabik, classified as a Fisheries Programs Coordinator. Mr. Hrabik has a Master's of Natural Science degree from Southeast Missouri State University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Fisheries staff include David P. Herzog, Fisheries Assistant, with a Bachelor's degree from Columbia University of Missouri.

Water Quality staff include David E. Ostendorf, with a Bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University and 3- 5 temporary employees during principal sampling times. Most of our temporary employeees are college students from Southeast Missouri State University.

The Systems Ecologist is Valerie A. Barko with, a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from University of Louisiana, a Master's degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology from Oklahoma State University, and a Doctorate degree in Zoology from Southern Illinois University.

Open Rivers and Wetlands staff are currently supervised by Ron Dent from the Resource Science Division.

The Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station is located just off Interstate 55 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson on U.S. Highway 61. The facility is conveniently located with easy access to the Interstate. Boat access within the study reach can usually be attained in less than one hour.

The facility in Jackson consists of office space and a storage building. Both structures are leased. The main building is an older but well-maintained brick home. It is spacious and has four offices, a conference room, large storage areas, laboratory, and kitchen. One area of the house is dedicated to our network, communications, and common use computers. Each office and the laboratory has a computer workstation. The storage building is a pole and frame structure with metal siding and two bay doors. It consists of a heated chemical storage room, a mouse-proof net room, workshop, and boat and field equipment bays. The floor is concrete and all drives are graveled.

Field Station staff are involved in a variety of activities encompassing research, management, planning, and education programs. The primary responsibility of Open Rivers and Wetlands staff is to carry out the contractual obligation with the LTRMP. Under this contract, Open River staff collect fish, invertebrate, vegetation, water quality, and wildlife data along a 50-mile stretch of the Middle Mississippi River, approximately 25 miles north and south of Cape Girardeau.

The field station program has maintained strong ties to area universities. To date, three people have Master's degrees through research conducted at the Open River Field Station for the LTRMP. Open Rivers and Wetlands staff are encouraged to report and disseminate information. As a result, Open Rivers and Wetlands staff have published material in peer-reviewed journals, in the LTRMP report series, and in several publications and reports by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Because the Missouri Conservation Department does not have a Mississippi River management unit, field station staff have taken on this role. This has led to a rather widespread networking and coordinating role for Open Rivers and Wetlands staff. For example, the Upper Mississippi River Coordinating Committee ecosystem management effort for the Middle Mississippi River is coordinated out of the field station, and habitat improvement projects through various Corps of Engineers programs have been coordinated and will be evaluated by Open Rivers and Wetlands staff.

The location of the field station at the lower end of the Upper Mississippi River and the beginning of the Lower Mississippi River is important because data collected and information provided by field station staff are useful to both upper and lower river biologists. As a result of this networking, the Open Rivers and Wetlands Field Station continues to garner strong support by Upper Mississippi River, Lower Mississippi River, university, and Corps of Engineers personnel in several disciplines.

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