Ameren, Conservation Department ending public access to part of Callaway County conservation area

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Outdoor enthusiasts will no longer have access to the northern section of the Reform Conservation Area in Callaway County starting next month.

Ameren, which owns a large chunk of the conservation area property, is closing off the access while it builds a solar field next to its nuclear power plant, the company said in a statement. Plans for the project are being finalized, the statement says.

Ameren says projects like the solar field can help keep power affordable for customers.

The project, when finished, will cover about 1,000 acres of the 6,726-acre area, Ameren stated.

Signs reflecting the new boundaries will be in place, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The restrictions begin July 1.