Ozark Rivers National Monument: A Proposal

National Park Service

Only a few miles by today's standards from St. Louis or Kansas City or Memphis lies a portion of the Ozarks still relatively wild and natural. The Ozarks are old—mellow with the beauty of great age—remnants of an ancient mountain range. Uplift and water have molded them. Climate has influenced them. Today, this particular area houses a unique complex of springs and rivers, caves and sinks, plants and animals. Here are many springs—some giant, some small. Here are spring-fed rivers, the Current, the Jacks Fork, and the Eleven Point—cold, clear, abounding with and goggle-eye. Here are caves created by waters of the past, many containing an unusual variety of multicolored formations, some still uncharted. Here are interesting sinks—ground surface reminders of cave roof fall-ins below. Here are found the shortleaf pine, oaks of many names, the redbud, the red wolf, the osprey, and the pileated woodpecker—overall, a surprisingly varied ecology. Nearly 10,000 years ago, Early Man lived beside these same waters. He too must have marveled at the springs and the rivers flowing from them. More recently, the Indian, the Frenchman, the Spaniard, the logger each had his day. Descendants of settlers who came mainly from the Appalachians now people the area. Much of the folk culture and character of early American society remains with them. For years—largely because of this unusual combination of natural values—there has been interest in preservation of parts of this scene. Four State parks have been established—3 along the Current River and 1 along the Jacks Fork. Two wildlife areas have been set aside by the Missouri Conservation Commission. As early as 1950, the State of Missouri recognized a need to preserve the natural qualities of the Current and Eleven Point Rivers. As recently as January 1959, the Missouri Legislature asked the Congress of the United States to establish a national recreation area to preserve the free-flowing qualities of these very rivers. Here in the heart of the Ozark plateau, lies a unique opportunity to set aside an outstanding type of area—one not now represented in the National Park System. Here too, is the opportunity to preserve still unspoiled rivers with many miles of shoreline.