| WETLANDS
With three major rivers flowing through or adjacent to St. Louis County, wetlands were abundant at the time of European settlement. From the slow backwaters of the Mississippi to the turbulent waters and the ever-changing landscape of the Missouri River floodplain to the more gentle flow of the Lower Meramec River with its sloughs, all of these wetlands hosted a variety of flora and fauna. All of the natural communities within the County have been altered and changed to accommodate urbanization and agriculture.
Wetlands are important features of the landscape as they filter impurities from the water, provide wildlife habitat, recharge groundwater, harbor endangered species, and in some instances reduce floodwaters. With these benefits in mind the Parks Department has actively begun to acknowledge, create, restore and manage a number of wetlands. Listed below are some of the wetlands that have been protected in the Park system.
Little Creve Coeur Park Site This 600-acre site, yes, 600-acre site consists of a 120-acre shallow natural wetland basin that was once part of the Missouri River; a newly constructed 80-acre wetland/prairie; and hundreds of acres of former agriculture land that will be restored. This whole area is in the planning and development phase but already the results have been tremendous. The wetlands have attracted some birds that are not common in the St. Louis area. Various rails, moorhens, and bitterns have been seen along with northern harriers, to name just a few of the more uncommon sightings at the park. This park is still in the planning phase and no trails or developments have been constructed as yet. We only expect that this site will develop into one of the premier destinations for birding and natural history study for the entire East-Central portion of Missouri. Trails, viewing blinds, boardwalks will be coming to the site in the future.
West Tyson Park Along the Meramec River and in a shallow swale on the Epstein Prairie are a number of wetlands and sloughs. The sloughs are recharged by the high waters from the Meramec and support a wetland shrub community of rose mallow and buttonbush. The small swale in the Epstein Prairie provides an opportunity to develop an emergent wetland
adjacent to the Epstein Prairie project.
The wetland area was planted with the assistance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
The sloughs and wetlands can be viewed by hiking the Chubb Trail.
Lower Meramec Park A spring feeds this forested wetland located within the floodplain of the Meramec River. This unusual swamp community receives spring water, runoff from the surrounding uplands and is occasionally flooded by the nearby Meramec River. The swamp supports salamanders, warblers, wood ducks, as well as, sedges, buttonbush, and deciduous holly. Tall pin oaks, white ash, and swamp white oaks tower over the 12-acre site. As with most wetlands, in spite of the year round flow of the spring, the swamp dries up during the droughty summer months. This wetland can be viewed by taking the Tall Timbers Trail.
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