Devil’s Icebox Cave - Bonne Femme Watershed

[Lynn]

Watershed solutions flow at forum
Residents picked up tips on how to protect the Bonne Femme.
Missourian News
BY REBECCA TOWNSEND

Cattle farmer Robert hagans has kived on the south side of the Bonne Femme Watershed his whole life.

It wasn’t until 10 years ago, though, that he began to notice a neighboring creek flooding New Salem Church Road during heavy rains.

The property where his 45 Angus brood cows roam has no perennially flowing streams, but the gullies channeling storm water are flowing faster and there is more erosion, Hagans said.

Hagans was one of a couple dozen people who attended an open house Tuesday evening organized by members from the Bonne Femme Watershed Project. The forum was designed to educate residents and business owners about water quality issues and financial assistance available for grass-roots initiatives to improve or enhance stream health.

Hagans is considering building a pond to control storm water flow.

Warren and Gayle Sims, who in 1991 bought 26 acres within the 93-square-mile watershed located between Columbia and Ashland, had a similar idea.

“If everyone on all these little creeks would put in a retainment lake, you could stop all this flooding you have on the Bonne Femme,â€

[cob]

Seeing as Phillip Moss and Bob Lerch just had a study published on this exact cave (and watershed) I woul be interested in hearing what they have to say.

tom

[Lynn]

Yes Cob, It would be nice to get the cavers scoop on this!

[Teresa]

Yes Cob, It would be nice to get the cavers scoop on this!

Kathryn DiFoxfire is the immediate past secretary of Chouteau Grotto.

[Dustin]

Yes Cob, It would be nice to get the cavers scoop on this!

Kathryn DiFoxfire is the immediate past secretary of Chouteau Grotto.

Vince DeMarco is our secretary now, just for your information. I'm curious about this, as I don't recall hearing anything about it. I'll get in tough with Kat and see if she's heard anything since she's one of the guides into Devil's Icebox.