Johnson's Shut-Ins will reopen May 27

LESTERVILLE, Mo. -- The state park that was damaged when a hydroelectric plant's reservoir broke in December will reopen for the start of the tourism season, officials with the state Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday.

The reservoir breach at Ameren Corp.'s Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant on Dec. 14 sent 1.3 billion gallons of water down the side of a mountain and gushing through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park near Lesterville, about 120 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Even with perhaps years of repairs still ahead, the park will reopen for day use starting May 27, the first day of Memorial Day weekend -- the traditional start of the tourist season. It will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the fall. There is no admission fee.

"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," DNR director Doyle Childers said.

Park superintendent Jerry Toops, his wife and three children were injured when the water swept through their home in the park. The park was otherwise empty, and no one was killed. If it had occurred in the summer, hundreds of swimmers and campers would likely have been at the park that typically draws 250,000 visitors each year.

The aftermath of the accident left a 6-foot-high layer of thick silt and clay throughout parts of the park. The campground and other facilities were destroyed. So far, nearly 15,000 truckloads of debris have been removed. Roads have been fixed, and grassy areas reseeded.

Interpretive panels throughout the park will explain the damage, and park workers will offer guided tours. A half-mile interpretive trail has been developed through an area now known as the boulder field because it is where many of the larger boulders from Proffit Mountain came to rest.

The park got its name from volcanic rock formations that formed narrow walkways, or shut-ins. Those will also remain open.

Swimming will be prohibited until cleanup is complete, and the Black River will be off limits. Camp sites will not reopen until next year at the earliest because of the extensive damage.

The reopening was welcomed by businesses in the region.

"You depend on the tourism in this area," said Brenda Oyler, whose Arcadia Academy includes a restaurant, shops and a bed and breakfast. "Even if the park isn't completely open, we hope they come anyway."

In fact, Oyler figured the aftermath of the accident could attract the curious who wouldn't normally visit the Shut-Ins.

"They might say, 'Let's go see how it looks,"' she said.

Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., toured the park, saying she hardly recognized the place she visited during her honeymoon in 1975.

Ameren has promised to fully fund repair of the park. On May 4, the DNR sent Ameren a bill for nearly $495,000 for cleanup during the first three months of 2006.

On the Net:

DNR update on Johnson's Shut-Ins: www.mostateparks.com/jshutins.htm

Ameren update on cleanup: www.ameren.com/taumsauk