SierraScape Spring 2022
Back to Table of Contents

BY MARISA FRAIZER
Conservation Program Coordinator

2022 has already brought a cascade of updates to the management plans at our federally protected riverways.

We are very grateful to all of the Sierra Club members who submitted their comments, and for the members of the Conservation Committee who assisted in writing our Chapter reports! Want to get more involved in our Conservation team? Email marisa.frazier@sierraclub.org

Ozark Nat'l Scenic Riverways

The Missouri Sierra Club has advocated for years for stronger motorboat limits on the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers, which make up Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR).

After many administrative delays, on January 5, 2022, the National Park Service released their proposed amendments regarding motorized vessels on the Riverways for public comment. This was the final step to implement the horsepower limits decisions made in the 2015 General Management Plan after an extensive public input process.

These limits were decided after more than 1,400 people attended public meetings throughout the state and more than 3,000 people submitted written public comments. 83% of the commenters were Missourians.

Noise pollution, wake, and fumes from motorboats not only affect floaters, but also disturb the wildlife that evolved to live in the natural environment along these rivers. The NPS draft plan explains that limiting motorboats "could help reduce the threat of water quality degradation from petroleum-based pollutants resulting from motorboats in these areas during the peak season." Additionally, powerful motorboats generate wakes that erode the river banks and disrupt fish nests on the river bottom.

Comments were due March 7. The Missouri Sierra Club's persistence and member comments played a crucial role in protecting the serene quality of the Scenic Riverways.

Eleven Point Nat'l Scenic Riverway

In 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act designated the Eleven Point River as one of its first protected rivers thanks to its free flowing nature and pristine waters. The Eleven Point was designated to protect its Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs), which are: Ecology, Geology, Recreation, Scenery, Fisheries/Aquatics, and Pre-European Contact American History.

The U.S. Forest Service is now revising its Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) to direct the management of the river for the next 50 years. The CRMP addresses changes over the years and brings the original 1972 plan up-to-date.

While the draft plan recommends great points, it fails to adequately address several primary issues, including the potential impacts of hard rock mining on the river, and high fecal coliform and fecal streptococci levels caused by rain events that may make swimming unsafe.

Some of the favorable updates proposed in the current draft of the plan include addressing the impacts of climate change, acknowledging Indigenous history and input, and addressing capacity issues of the river's management.

You can learn more about our stance on our website.

Many of our members and our Missouri Sierra Club Conservation Committee submitted comments advocating for stronger protections and a ban on mining and mineral exploration. This plan was open for public comment through March 25.