August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
Encyclopedia
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, is a 6987 acres (28.3 km²) conservation area that is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation
. Located in St. Charles County, Missouri the land was purchased by the Department of Conservation with help from Alice Busch, the wife of August Anheuser Busch, Sr.
, in 1947 from the U.S. Government.
Currently the lakes are stocked with: Trout
, Black Bass
, Catfish
, Crappie
, Bluegill
, Sunfish
and Muskellunge
.
According to the Department of Conservation, there are currently no concerns of contamination of the wildlife, from the nearby Superfund site.
site, and is currently being decontaminated. TNT and Uranium
processing were done on this site.
. Old bunkers for the storage of TNT, dot the area.
Missouri Department of Conservation
The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution...
. Located in St. Charles County, Missouri the land was purchased by the Department of Conservation with help from Alice Busch, the wife of August Anheuser Busch, Sr.
August Anheuser Busch, Sr.
August Anheuser Busch, Sr. was an American brewing magnate who served as the President and CEO of Anheuser-Busch from 1913-1934. His father, Adolphus Busch founded the company.-Biography:...
, in 1947 from the U.S. Government.
Geography
The area has an area of 6987 acres (28.3 km²). There are 550 acres (2.2 km²) of Lakes and ponds in the area.Fishing
There are currently 32 lakes that are open to fishing. The lakes are stocked by the Department of Conservation.Currently the lakes are stocked with: Trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, Black Bass
Black bass
Micropterus , is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is M. dolomieu, the smallmouth bass...
, Catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, Crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, Bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, Sunfish
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
and Muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
.
According to the Department of Conservation, there are currently no concerns of contamination of the wildlife, from the nearby Superfund site.
Hiking
There are several Hiking and Biking Trails in the Conservation Area. The Busch Hiking and Biking trail, which is 3.2 miles (5.1 km) long. The "Fallen Oaks Nature Trail", which is 0.7 miles (1.1 km) long, parts of which are wheelchair accessible.Handicap Accessibility
There have been numerous improvements in the park to improve Accessibility, for wheelchair users. These include ramps, concrete fishing areas and boardwalks around nature viewing areas.Environmental Issues
The area is part of a superfundSuperfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site, and is currently being decontaminated. TNT and Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
processing were done on this site.
Military Use
Portions, of the Conservation Area were used by the Weldon Spring Ordnance WorksWeldon Spring Ordnance Works
Weldon Spring Ordnance Works was a U.S. Government-owned, contractor-operated facility in St. Charles County, Missouri, 55 km west of St. Louis. The site was originally operated by the Atlas Powder Company during World War II from 1941 to 1945 to produce explosives. The Atomic Energy...
. Old bunkers for the storage of TNT, dot the area.