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Image ImageMissouri Convenes Environmental Crimes Task Force
After a roughly 25-year hiatus, Missouri has reconvened an Environmental Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute violations of state and federal environmental laws. Missouri’s task force combines local, state and federal law enforcement, prosecutors and environmental regulators who will focus on crimes like illegal dumping, hazardous waste disposal, illegal discharges into waterways and more.
While a similar task force existed several years ago, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is leading the effort to activate a new team responsible for ensuring that prosecution of environmental violations and crimes is efficiently and effectively coordinated between the different enforcement partner entities.
“Missouri has effectively prosecuted environmental crimes for decades, but we felt it was time to convene a new task force that will be even more focused, collaborative and effective,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Ultimately, our goal is to protect public health and the environment.”
“Protecting Missouri’s communities and environmental resources is a top priority,” said Attorney General Catherine Hanaway. “Those who violate environmental laws and jeopardize public health will be held accountable. We appreciate Director Schaefer’s leadership in convening this task force and look forward to working together to enforce our laws.”
Creve Coeur Lake: It Can Be Your Winter Wonderland
Story and photos by Don Corrigan
After Snowmaggedon 2026, it’s important to focus on nature – and not just icy roads, snowplows and schools closing. Missouri has some key locations for winter scenery, although it is important to bundle up before trekking off to sample magnificent icy eye candy.
Creve Coeur Lake in West St. Louis County offers snow-packed bluffs, craggy waterfalls with icicles, frozen creeks and shimmering lakes, and wildlife that somehow finds a way to survive and thrive despite intense cold.
Creve Coeur means “broken heart” in French. A legend holds that the lake was split in two when a young Native American woman threw herself to her death after being heartbroken in love. A waterfall at the lake, known as “Dripping Springs,” is said to be the site of the tragic death of a lovelorn girl.
Pictured: Don Corrigan
The “Dripping Springs” are destined to be frozen for days in the wake of the giant snowstorm that blanketed the nation this January 2026. It’s a wonder to behold this time of year. The silvery site precedes us and will captivate observers long after we are gone.
Area residents may be surprised to learn that Creve Coeur Lake is the largest naturally-formed lake in Missouri. It covers 320 acres and was formed thousands of years ago when the Missouri River to the west shifted and created the lake as an oxbow.
Located in Maryland Heights Creve Coeur Lake sits in the largest park in St. Louis County, the Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. In warmer weather, bicyclists love to circle the lake or head across the Missouri River to St. Charles on the Katy Trail
Every kind of recreation is available in the park. Hikers and bicyclists love the trails. A trail spur can take them over the Page Avenue Extension Bridge for a meet-up with the beloved Katy Trail, which allows travel literally across the state.
The lake itself also supports multi-modal transportation. Kayakers and canoeists love to explore the many nooks and crannies of the lake. A sailing club and a sculling club are located here. Their boats add to the ambiance of the area.
(Watch for the spring release of Don Corrigan and Diana Linsley’s Scenic Natural Wonders of Missouri. Pre-orders are available at reedypress.com)
Magnificent Missouri! Offering Hope: Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow After Snowmaggedon
by Don Corrigan
After the historic Snowmaggedon winter storm of 2026, the Wine Country organization known as Magnificent Missouri offers real hope: “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow After.” If you don’t believe Annie from the musical, “Annie,” you can believe Magnificent Missouri.
Magnificent Missouri is an environmental and historical conservation organization focused on preserving the last 100 miles of the Missouri River Valley and the Katy Trail. Key 2026 initiatives included the “Sweet Corn Sunday” and the “Treloar Elevator Party,” Both of which celebrate rural, agricultural heritage.
The organization has worked with partners to manage native prairies, remove invasive species, and plant trees along the Katy Trail. Bikers and hikers appreciate the many trail improvements that the organization has made to benefit outdoor enthusiasts.
Magnificent Missouri has published a number of leaflets and quality books celebrating the beautiful nature sites of Missouri. The new book project “Trails Across Missouri,” is a book that documents the great progress on the Katy and Rock Island trails in Missouri.
Next time you are in Missouri Wine Country, check out the Katy Trail at Dutzow and Marthasville, the Peers Store where the Peers Store Music Series is held, and the amazing architecture and history at Treloar.
Plush Possums Find Warm Homes and Happy Possum Owners
By Don Corrigan
Plush Possums are settling in for the winter with homeowners who were gifted with the furry critters during the holidays. Some of the possums are playing video games and listening to music on headphones.
A favorite song for possums to listen to on their headphones is “Possum, Possum” by the band, Phish. The song is about a roadkill possum flattened by an automobile on the road.
Possums are vulnerable when cars approach on the road, because they “play dead” in the road when they think a predator is after them. When the car hits them, they are dead for real and not just playing!
Why would anyone want to run over an awesome possum? Why would any driver want to leave a poor possum as just so much scrambled organic matter in the middle of the road?
Possums may not have a lot of fans among pet lovers who prefer attractive animals, such as fancy felines or a comely canines, but possums do deserve more respect and appreciation for the beneficial services they provide humanity.
Possums may be ugly, but they can do some lovely work in the garden or in the woods behind the house. There are many fine attributes to list in praise of the homely possum.
Sunken Steamboat: Low Water Reveals Remains Of “Betsy Ann” In Meramec River
By Don Corrigan
Low water in the Meramec and other Missouri rivers can reveal skeletons of the past, including those of old steamboats. Remains of the good ship Betsy Ann can be found in the Meramec near Kirkwood.
Betsy Ann’s rusty hull can be seen near the Meramec banks in low water across from Emmenegger Park in Kirkwood. This defunct river steamer should not be confused with the Betsy Ann that plies the Mississippi near Biloxi, Miss.
“The boat carried U.S. Mail from Natchez, Mississippi to Bayou Sara, Louisiana,” explained Drew A. Walters, who did research for an article on the Betsy Ann for his Eureka Historical Society Facebook site.
According to Walters, the Betsy Ann changed hands several times through the years. The boat was in three steamboat races in the 1920s in the Ohio River before making it to St. Louis.
The Betsy Ann raced steamboat Chris Greene in 1928 and steamboat Tom Greene in 1929 and 1930. From 1930 to 1931, the boat operated on several different routes from Pittsburgh.
“In 1932, it was sold again and used to push barges,” according to Walters. “In 1940, the top half was demolished in St. Louis and the hull was briefly used by the Wood River Refining Company at Wood River, Illinois.
“She was then sold to the Meramec Power Boat Club, a club based at the Sylvan Beach Resort at 11991 Stoneywood Drive in Sunset Hills,” added Walters. “During the late 1940s, facilities for the club were built on the hull and the boat became an excursion boat for both the club and the resort.”
In 1952-53, the boat sank during a flood. The boat’s carcass has sat in the Meramec River near the Meramec Greenway since that flood more than 70 years ago.
Don’t miss Eagle Days festival Feb. 7 at Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Photo: MDC
As America marks its 250th anniversary, there’s no better time to honor the nation’s most iconic symbol of strength and freedom—the bald eagle. In 1782, the Second Continental Congress chose the bald eagle to appear on the Great Seal of the United States. To celebrate, Missouri’s resident and visiting eagles are putting on a show this winter. The Mississippi River offers some of the best bald eagle viewing in the country.
St. Louis metro area’s premier celebration of bald eagles, the annual Eagle Days Festival, returns for 2026 to the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton. The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. This popular annual festival offers the chance for all ages to discover a close connection with the bald eagle. No reservations are required.
Participants can see eagles through spotting scopes staffed by trained volunteers at viewing stations along the river. The World Bird Sanctuary will present live “All about Eagles” programs throughout the day. Visitors can see live eagles up close as they learn the fascinating story of these amazing raptors.
The whole family can warm up by the fire and enjoy s’mores. An annual visitor favorite is hopping inside the life-size bald eagle nest replica for one-of-a-kind selfies or posing as an eagle at the giant eagle wingspan banner. Kids can stay engaged with fun indoor craft stations. Partner organizations will feature staffed, interactive educational tables, and barbeque for sale on site.
Alarm Raised Over Toxic Waste in Berger, Mo. Warehouse
Former Missouri State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood and Don Corrigan in 2020.
By Don Corrigan
Missouri has acquired a national reputation as a toxic waste dump for many of the nation’s most toxic waste materials. Witness the ongoing fight over decades of radioactive materials dumped in North St. Louis County.
Alarms have also been raised over toxic waste deliveries to a warehouse in Berger, Mo., a Missouri River bottoms town located between Washington and Hermann.
By early 2014, roughly 13 million pounds of hazardous sandblasting waste had been shipped to a warehouse near Berger, creating yet another major environmental contamination site. The waste, stored in sacks and drums, consists of plastic powder contaminated with heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium.
The waste originated from U.S. Technology facilities across the country, and was moved to Berger after recycling plans in Mississippi collapsed.
Grain Belt Express Moving Forward
By Don Corrigan
Reports of the death of the Grainbelt Express have been greatly exaggerated. After years of back and forth between the Missouri Legislature and the Missouri Courts, the Grain Belt Express may still moving forward.
Ameren Missouri has given the project a shot in the arm. Ameren plans to build a nearly 30-mile transmission line through Callaway and Montgomery Counties to connect local substations with the Grain Belt Express, a major multistate power line carrying renewable energy from Kansas to Indiana.
Ameren submitted its proposal to the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) in November and does still need regulatory approval before construction can begin.
Environmental Journalists: SEJ Cover Clean Air, Water and More At 2026 Chicago Convention
by Don Corrigan
The environmental group, Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) was last in St. Louis in 1996 when it held its 6th Annual Conference at Washington University. The conference included field trips to sites where lead, radiation and dioxin were being addressed.
There was much to learn about hazardous waste contamination in the St. Louis area, and there still is a lot to learn in the Gateway City. However, the 2026 SEJ Conference will be in Chicago and focus on Great Lakes issues.
Thirty years after the Gateway City event, SEJ Is now looking for new environmental communication members and for new program ideas for its Chicago conference.
SEJ membership is open to journalists, public information professionals, professors, students and staff at accredited colleges and universities. New members are welcome and the SEJ benefits for environmental writers are many.
Environmental Echo 