Report from the Saint (118-24-4)

[McChuck]

The level is under negative 12″

Amazingly the ground is still quite wet in places. More good news- MDC cleared almost the entire beach. You can now stand on the pavilion railing and see double drop down river. There was a very mean, long needled locust tree at the put-in that I’d been eyeing for quite some time. I felt it was a hazard to anything blow-up, rafts, tubes, etc. They cut it down. The whole area looks very good.

They have drained Lake Killarney again. I have no idea how this affects boating. If anyone knows, please chime in. If you have a need for old tires, there are about 100 of them exposed.

I also heard today that our governor stabbed our local economy in the back. Money coming from the mines and from Ameren, which was supposed to be used in Iron and Reynolds counties, has been diverted to parks in the southern parts of Missouri. Crane Pond is NOT going to be repaired, and in fact, they may just let it crumble like Silvermines dam. I have no idea what the old riverbed looked like…..and expect we will not see positive results in our lifetime.

 

 

 

• This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by McChuck. Reason: I have heard that grizzlies are attracted to women during their menstrual cycle.A 1000 pound grizzly vs a 120 pound woman with cramps..... I would say that's a pretty fair fight

[Byron]

Thanks much for the updates )

[George]

Regarding Crane Pond/Creek, how exactly do you suspect the drained out lake will impact potential boating this upcoming rainy season?

[McChuck]

We will have to wait for incoming reports….I have no idea.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by McChuck. Reason: I ask people why they ave deer heads on teir wall-and they answer "because it's such a beautiful animal".....am I translating this correctly?

[Alan Peterson]

The Crane Lake dam restoration is not dead yet.  The following is a long string of emails (Jim Scaggs is the Iron County Commissioner).  You can read through (if so motivated).  You kind of have to read the emails from the bottom for the order to make sense. If anyone else wants to help keep Crane Lake on the burner by making phone calls and sending emails, please do:

Alan:

Just to let you know, I believe the two million dollars from the state is no longer available. With the change in the political parties at the state level I fear the new Governor may not support the project.

Jim Scaggs

 

From: Alan Peterson [mailto:Alan.Peterson@tn.gov]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 3:54 PM
To: Jim Scaggs <jscaggs@windstream.net>
Subject: RE: Update on Crane Lake

Jim,

Thank you, sir.

Obviously, the rumor I heard was incorrect. It seems the Forest Service has not yet abandoned the project.

I still believe, if there is a pledge for two million dollars from state sources, those dollars could be matched with Wallop-Breaux federal dollars (which must be spent for fishing projects) and the project would be changed to a 4 million dollar, or an 8 million dollar project, depending on whether the match is 50:50 or 25:75 (state:federal).

The e-mail I sent to Representative Smith was through his website, so I did not get a chance to save a copy. However, I requested a response by e-mail. If I get a response, I will forward it to you.

Thank you for your efforts to kick this can down the road.

Alan Peterson
Regional Manager, TWRA
200 Lowell Thomas Dr.
Jackson, TN 38301
(800) 372-3928
alan.peterson@tn.gov

From: Jim Scaggs [mailto:jscaggs@windstream.net]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 3:28 PM
To: Alan Peterson
Subject: FW: Update on Crane Lake

 

Alan:

I just received this email from my contact at the US Forest Service. I will keep you in the loop.

Thanks, for your support and assistance.

Jim Scaggs
Presiding Commissioner
Iron County, Missouri

Cell 573-270-2450
Work 573-856-4505

From: Ewing, Rebecca -FS [mailto:rewing@fs.fed.us]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 2:15 PM
To: Jim Scaggs <jscaggs@windstream.net>
Cc: Schwenke, Sherri K -FS <sschwenke@fs.fed.us>; Crump, Michael A -FS <mcrump@fs.fed.us>; Salveter, Amy – FS <asalveter@fs.fed.us>; Woods, Christopher M -FS <cmwoods@fs.fed.us>; Wilson, Amy D -FS <amydwilson@fs.fed.us>; Crews, Amy M -FS <amymcrews@fs.fed.us>
Subject: Update on Crane Lake

We just spoke about Crane Lake on our Forest Leadership Team call today. Sherri Schwenke reiterated her expectation that the NEPA process for the dam rehabilitation project would be started this Fiscal Year, so as far as I’m concerned I have support from my supervisor in continuing down the path we are on. Other things happening:

1. I will be signing the prescribed burn plan for the Crane Lake dam on Thursday. The burn will be scheduled between now and April 1st.
2. Chris Woods completed a draft Job Hazard Analysis (today) for cleaning out the outlet works at Crane Lake dam when debris clogs it. We need to have it reviewed by the Forest Safety Officer and get it signed by the Forest Supervisor.
3. Sheriff Medley has the Emergency Action Plan for his signature. When he has signed it, I will have Amy Wilson and Sherri Schwenke sign it, then return a copy to the Sheriff. Chris Woods and I plan to meet with the sheriff when it is all said and done to plan a “practice scenario”.
4. We’ve mapped all illegal ATV paths into the coffer dam area and are awaiting a gate design from our engineering staff – two gates will be installed to keep people from accessing the coffer dam area with vehicles from FR2115 and a major illegal path. Boulders will be placed in lesser-used areas.
5. I’m awaiting some information about my roads budget to determine how best to construct the emergency access road from FR2113 to the dam.
6. I’ll be signing the decision for the temporary boat launch later this month. We’ll be able to construct it after that is signed.
7. The contracting firm has until April to complete the Phase 2 analyses on the dam. However, Amy Crews just received the seismic analysis; a conference call with the firm is being planned to go over the report so that we can fully understand what it means. A survey company collected elevations at the house and campsites located in the sunny day breach zone, and those measurements were just given to the contractor for modeling and breach analysis. Amy believes we might have that piece back by the end of the month – it will tell us to what PMF level we must plan for. The remaining analysis work (risk analysis and some other piece that is escaping my mind right now) will be worked on thereafter.
8. We just received word about additional funding for the early alert warning system at the dam, as well as the crack monitoring advised by the consulting firm in Phase 1.

Hope that is what you wanted. I’d like to wait until we hear about the modeling/breach analysis before I schedule the “public interaction session” – I know we are doing a lot, but I think that piece will be most interesting. We talked briefly about doing the session after the commission meeting (1300 on a Thursday), but I wonder if it wouldn’t make sense for me to come down there in the evening sometime or on a weekend when more people are off work. Still thinking on the best time/venue to interact with neighbors.
Forest Service Shield
Becky Ewing
District Ranger
Forest Service
Mark Twain NF, Potosi-Fredericktown RD
p: 573-438-5427 x5103
c: 573-201-4567
f: 573-438-2633
rewing@fs.fed.us
10019 Highway 8 West
Potosi, MO 63664
http://www.fs.fed.us
USDA LogoForest Service TwitterUSDA Facebook
Caring for the land and serving people

From: Jim Scaggs [mailto:jscaggs@windstream.net]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 12:02 PM
To: Ewing, Rebecca -FS <rewing@fs.fed.us>
Subject: FW:

Hi Rebecca:

Please provide me with an update on Crane Lake. Also the email below.

Jim Scaggs

From: Jim Scaggs [mailto:jscaggs@windstream.net]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 12:01 PM
To: ‘Alan Peterson’ <Alan.Peterson@tn.gov>
Subject: RE:

Alan:

I have not been informed of this by the US Forest Service, but I will follow up today.

Jim Scaggs
Presiding Commissioner
Iron County, Missouri

Cell 573-270-2450
Work 573-856-4505

From: Alan Peterson [mailto:Alan.Peterson@tn.gov]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 11:31 AM
To: jscaggs@windstream.net
Subject:

Commissioner Scaggs,

I heard a rumor that the possibility of restoring Crane Lake has been stopped. Any truth to the rumor?

Alan Peterson
Regional Manager, TWRA
200 Lowell Thomas Dr.
Jackson, TN 38301
(800) 372-3928
alan.peterson@tn.gov

 

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Alan Peterson.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Alan Peterson.

[Alan Peterson]

By the way…  The Forest Service, Potosi Office, is soliciting comments about whether to repair/restore potable water lines to the campgrounds at Silver Mines.

They would like the public to comment with phone calls to the USFS Potosi Office, or by email, or comments to their Facebook page.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Alan Peterson.

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