DNR, Corps of Engineers to hold public meeting about Lower Osage River study

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Natural and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Kansas City District announced in a press release this week that it will hold a public meeting about a study.

The meeting will be 4-7 p.m., March 14 at Tuscumbia High School. The public comment deadline is April 14.

The two entities will provide information and ask for public input on a feasibility study on the lower Osage River.  The study is looking to address problems on the river due to excessive stream bank erosion, reduced side channel flows and degradation of Lock and Dam No. 1.

The press release states that stream bank erosion and other issues along the Osage River have led to sedimentation of important aquatic habitat, including threatened and endangered mussel beds. Impacts also include loss of stream bank vegetation and valuable farmland, threats to private and commercial infrastructure and lost habitat connectivity, as well as public safety concerns associated with decreased river channel stability.

The Lower Osage River Feasibility Study evaluates an array of potential solutions, along with estimated costs and timelines, for consideration with future implementation. The study is focusing on 82 miles on the Osage River watershed from Bagnell Dam to the mouth of the lower Osage River.