News Release No. 198

JOHNSON'S SHUT-INS STATE PARK REOPENS
TO THE PUBLIC MAY 27

Volume 34-198

Contact: Sue Holst

(For immediate release)

573-751-6510

JEFFERSON CITY, MAY 17, 2006 -- Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park near Lesterville will reopen to the public for the season at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 27, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today.

Visitors will once again be able to visit the major use area of the popular state park, which was flooded by the Dec.14 breach of the nearby Taum Sauk reservoir.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to once again allow visitors to see this special park. But it will be different from the park they experienced last year, when this park celebrated its 50th anniversary," said Doyle Childers, department director.

Following the breach, 1.3 billion gallons of water swept down Proffit Mountain into the park, sweeping away everything in its path and leaving behind piles of trees 15 feet high and silt up to 6 feet deep. Many of the facilities, including the campground, were destroyed. Cleanup began immediately and, as of May 6, more than 14,800 truck loads of tree debris, mulch, silt, rebar/concrete and rock had been removed from the park. Roads have been repaired, and areas have been reseeded.

This summer's experience will be focused on letting visitors see what happened at the park, interpreting its impact and explaining the recovery efforts. Interpretive panels at various locations throughout the park and a driving tour with an accompanying brochure explain the efforts. A one-half-mile interpretive trail has been developed through an area known as the boulder field because it is where many of the larger boulders from Proffit Mountain came to rest. Department of Natural Resources staff will be available to give guided tours as well.

Other day-use facilities include picnic tables, flush toilets and drinking water and the park store. There is no camping available this year.

One thing that has not changed dramatically is the shut-ins. The boardwalk to the shut-ins was damaged, and some debris filled the shut-ins. The boardwalk has been repaired so people can once again walk to the shut-ins and view them. Until the cleanup has been completed, people will not be allowed in the shut-ins or any portion of the East Fork of the Black River through the park because of safety reasons.

The Goggins Mountain equestrian trail and trailhead were not affected by the flood and remain open to the public.

"This season's visit to Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience because by next year, the park will have changed again," Childers said. As cleanup continues, the long-term planning for rebuilding the park continues as well. The planning began with input through public meetings and online surveys in April and will continue throughout the summer. The goal is to have a redevelopment plan in place by early fall.

Another project that is ongoing is the restoration of the portion of the East Fork of the Black River that runs through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. The stream above the shut-ins was significantly impacted by the flood, which filled it with sand and boulders and blocked the channel with a large rock dam. Work on the restoration will be ongoing this summer and should be completed sometime this fall. Because of the construction in progress, the stream will not be open to the public this year.

For this season, through early fall, the park will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Also available in the area are other state parks and historic sites, including Taum Sauk Mountain State Park near Ironton, Fort Davidson State Historic Site at Pilot Knob and Elephant Rocks State Park near Belleview. There are many other attractions in the Lesterville/Arcadia Valley area as well. For more information on these other attractions, go to experienceblackriver.com. For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, go to www.mostateparks.com or call 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/parkssearch.do.

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