PUXICO, Mo. -- Renovation work at Duck Creek Conservation Area north of Puxico is continuing under the Missouri Department of Conservation's Golden Anniversary Wetlands Initiative.

"We're trying to basically manage water more efficiently and restore natural water flow where we can," said MDC Wetland Ecologist Frank Nelson.

Water that historically fed the Duck Creek system came from the Castor River north of the property, but most of that river's flow was redirected with the 1918 construction of the Castor River Headwater Diversion. In 1952, water from the Castor was reconnected to Duck Creek through Ditch 111. Over the last 60 years, debris and sediment clogged sections of the ditch, reducing the efficiency for Duck Creek to take advantage of floodwaters from the river to flood Pool 1.

In the last year, Nelson said, MDC has worked with the Little River Drainage District, MoDOT and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make numerous improvements to the water supply system.

Old structures were replaced on Route C and at the Cato levee on the Castor River north of Duck Creek. Additionally, ditches 104, 106 and 111 have been cleaned out. Crews also cleared several levees, which will be reshaped later this summer, of trees and debris, something Nelson said will make them easier to maintain the levees and reduce erosion. With Ditch 111 now cleaned of debris, water from the Castor River, as well as Brushy and Slagle creeks, should run freely through the ditch system.

A new, 40-foot wide water control structure on the west side of Pool 1, at the junction of Ditch 111 and Ditch 1, was constructed. The previous structure was narrower and had a middle support beam, which caught logs and other debris, frequently clogging it up. The new structure is wider and raised from the bottom of the ditch using inflatable air bladders. When water flows through Ditch 111, it can be diverted into Pool 1 or overtop the new structure and flow into Ditch 1, which is part of the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.

"This will provide more reliable water," said MDC Fisheries Management Biologist Paul Cieslewicz. "We've always been nervous we wouldn't be able to fill our lake, and this is really going to improve our ability to capture water."

New spillways on the east and west side roads of Pool 3, which will allow water to be moved into and out of the pool, also were completed in the last year.

The spillways are low spots in the road where detailed LIDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) information showed where natural water drainages occur.

Essentially, Nelson said, water on the east side of Pool 1 flows down ditches 104, 105 and 106, but sometimes backs up in the Kinder, Mo., area.

The new, broad spillway on the east side of Pool 3 will allow floodwaters to flow into the pool and away from Kinder's residential area. Water also can be released on the west side of Pool 3 into Ditch 1 and Mingo's Pool 8, a popular flooded timber location for duck hunters. This will allow floodwaters to pulse on and off the land, without keeping trees under water for too long in the spring or summer.

As work continues into this summer, Nelson said, staff will focus on the Unit A and Unit B areas of Duck Creek.

Plans, Nelson said, include constructing a meandering ditch, which will run north and south through Unit A, using existing wells at the unit's southwest corner to fill the ditch and unit with water for waterfowl. It will also allow staff to capture water from the hills, which had previously passed them by.

The long and shallow meandering ditch will create habitat for a variety of native plant and small swamp fish species, according to Cieslewicz.

"We'll go into those scours and plant native species," he said. "All kinds of rare and endangered fish species will survive in there."

Nelson said plans also are in place to "try to put two new wells on the west side of Unit B."

Access to some portions of Duck Creek may be limited as work continues, Cieslewicz said.

"Access will be challenging, and we ask everyone to be patient," he said.

"We won't close down the area, however," added Area Manager Matt Bowyer.

In the coming months, Bowyer said, the main entrance into Duck Creek may temporarily be closed as crews repair a bridge. Access to the area will be available at the south end of Pool 3 off Highway 51 and from the Unit A area off Route Z. Information will be posted at the office headquarters and on the area's voice mail.

Construction work also will restrict hunting access this fall.

"We probably won't be hunting Unit A at all next duck season," Bowyer said. However, he said, more hunting spots should be open this fall compared to last year.

"If the weather cooperates," Bowyer said, "we hope to have units A and B open again in the fall of 2012."

More information on Duck Creek's renovations is available in an online blog Nelson keeps updated regularly and can be found at http://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/duck-creek-ca-updates.

Nelson, Bowyer and biologist Keith Cordell also can be reached at 573-222-3247.

Pertinent address:

Puxico, MO