Like fireworks displays on the fourth of July, American bald eagles draw thousands of people together to Missouri’s river banks every January and February.  This is when hundreds of these majestic birds come to build nests in the state’s tall trees, rear their young and feast on fish in her rivers.  What’s so special about this endangered species?  With so many admirable qualities it’s easy to understand why our country’s forefathers selected the Bald Eagle as our nation’s symbol and why so many yearn to find the best sites in Missouri for eagle watching.

Three hundred years ago Bald Eagles nested throughout North America but today they breed mainly in Alaska, Canada and Missouri.  Bald Eagles have more than 150 active nests in Missouri and they spend their winter at many locations throughout the state, making Missouri one of the leading states for wintering eagles.  Built in the top of a large tree, a Bald Eagle nest is one of the biggest of any North American bird.  The average Missouri nest is about 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep.

With a wingspan ranging between 6 ½ to 8 feet, a height of 3 to 3 ½ feet and weighing 8 to 15 pounds, the American Bald Eagle is one of the largest birds of prey, eating fish primarily and an occasional rabbit, rodent or bird.  Like humans, they too are scavengers, known to rob other birds of their prey, especially if one bird makes an impressive catch.  Perhaps this is how the forefathers came up with the idea of progressive taxation.  One thing is for certain, eagles have much better vision than humans.  Five to six times sharper, prominent brows shade their eyes for keener vision.  Strong eyesight, powerful feet with two inch talons, a hooked beak for tearing flesh coupled with normal flight speeds of 20-40 miles per and more than 100 miles per hour when diving make the Bald Eagle a fierce predator.

Love is in the air every January and February with a female and male eagle pairing up and adding to the nest.  Female eagles are larger than male eagles and unless they are perched next to each other they are difficult to tell apart.  Both male and female adults have the distinctive white head and tail.  A sexually mature bird is about 4 – 5 years old.  The female eagle lays two to three white eggs each year in March or April.  For 35-40 days both parents incubate the eggs.  Eaglets can be solid, dark brown or mottled brown and white and waste no time growing up as they are fully feathered and nearly full grown and able to fly from the nest when they are just 10-11 weeks old.  Unfortunately, the road ahead is tough with a 50 percent mortality rate during their first year after leaving the nest.  But the odds are more in their favor the second year with a 10 percent mortality rate and 5 percent every year after.  While the life expectancy in the wild averages 30 years, some Bald Eagles have lived up to 50 years in captivity.

Some of the best places to watch Bald Eagles in Missouri are as follows:

• Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area , Route K , southwest of Columbia
• Lake of The Ozarks , Bagnell Dam Access
• Lock and Dam 24 , Clarksville
• Lock and Dam 25 , east of Winfield
• Mingo National Wildlife Refuge , northwest of Puxico
• Old Chain of Rocks Bridge , south of I-270 , off Riverview Drive , St. Louis
• Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area , east of West Alton
• Schell – Osage Conservation Area , north of El Dorado Springs
• Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge , south of Sumner
• Table Rock Lake and Sheperd of The Hills Hatchery , southwest of Branson
• Truman Reservoir , west of Warsaw

Every year the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) spends $1 million dollars in litter clean up along rivers, streams and lakes.  While there are few people statistically who litter in Missouri, there are still some who do, making littering a lingering problem for the state.

Quite often, trash bags are one of the last things we think to pack for our annual float trips.  In fact, sometimes we forget to bring them at all.  Or, we make our best effort to collect our trash throughout the day, but then our canoe tips over and our trash scatters all over the river out of arm’s reach.

Fortunately, Missouri state legislators have given float outfitters a way to help keep our rivers, streams and lakes clean.  A pilot anti-littering program started in 1999, the “Stash That Trash” program, with its characteristic red mesh bags, gives considerate float outfitters a way to collect trash along Missouri’s rivers and streams. What the MDC has discovered is that kind participants in the program are not only collecting their own trash, they’re also collecting trash others have left behind.

While most of the trash consists of cans and coolers, some loads have included tires, steel traps and even someone’s dentures!  Float outfitters pick up tons of trash every year, accounting for 150 pickup truck loads for one river, the Niangua River, alone.  If you’re planning a float trip this spring or summer, consider participating in a Stream Team.  Nearly 100 float outfitters across Missouri offer float trip discounts for those who participate in clean up efforts.  These discounts are extended to Teams renting canoes, willing to perform Stream Team activities like litter pickups and water quality monitoring.

We can solve littering when everyone does their part.  Here are some ways we can all make a difference.

First, remove items from your pickup truck’s bed or from your boat that could blow out into roadways.  Any lost or broken monofilament should be retrieved as well as plastic six-pack rings.  If possible, remember to bring trash bags along on your float trip to dispose of your trash and take them home when your trip has ended.  Never throw trash into outdoor privies.  Doing so interferes with pumping out the tanks.  If you clean the day’s catch near the water, don’t leave fish parts near streams or on boat ramps.  Guts and carcasses should be disposed of in trash cans, not along shores, decks or ramps.  By exhibiting these practices, you set a good example.  Letting friends and family know that littering is socially unacceptable is a powerful step in the fight against future littering.

Littering in Missouri is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by either a 1 year jail sentence or a $1,000 fine.  While the MDC has posted signs in all conservation area parking lots, littering still occurs, often when no witnesses are present.  Consequently, fines from the small percentage that are caught don’t make up for the money it costs Missouri taxpayers in clean up, finding perpetrators and/or associated court costs.

Stream Teams are a great way to enjoy your next float trip at a discounted rate while still doing your part to keep Missouri’s rivers and streams clean.  When it comes to litter, everyone can take part in clean up efforts, keeping waterways clean for future generations.

If you are interested in watching some eagles in Missouri, then January and February are the best times of the year to do so. It is this time of the year when hundreds of these mighty, yet graceful, American Bald eagles come to the rivers of Missouri , as well as the mighty Mississippi, to feast on the fish and roost in the tall trees along the banks. There are several places in Missouri that offer a number of excellent viewing sites. To begin, The Confluence is a two hundred square mile conservation, tradition and recreation corridor along the two rivers. This is just one of the amazing places one could watch these intriguing birds.

The old Chain of Rocks Bridge has become quite the tourist attraction. This bridge has become a pedestrian and bicycling only bridge. This bridge is open daily from a half hour before sunrise and one half hour before sunset and is free. This bridge can offer a beautiful scene of many eagles in flight along the banks as well as above the river. You can join a special education class on January 14th and 15th that starts at 8:30 a.m. There will be plenty of experts on hand to answer any questions you want to ask. There will also be special scopes set up for visitors, so come join the fun.

The Missouri sanctuary’s River Project office is a sheltered and indoor location. This location offers the visitors the pleasure of viewing eagles as well as other river creatures. This office is open until February 5th everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

If you want to learn everything there is to know about eagles and other wild birds then you must visit the World Bird Sanctuary. This is one of the largest facilities to offer the conservation of this feathered friend. The World Bird Sanctuary is located twenty miles from downtown St. Louis off of the interstate 44, and is free of charge. This Sanctuary offers a lot of special events and some programs to teach about these great birds. They have many displays of many birds, small woodland creatures as well as many reptiles. They even have trails for bird watchers to take with feeding stations to observe many different species.

At the Forest Park visitors center you can pick up a free backpack filled with lots of bird information as well as guides and binoculars to help you discover the feathered friends living in the park. As you can see there are several places to go in Missouri to watch eagles and enjoy their beauty. These are just a few to mention and all offer a lot of information for any avid bird or eagle watcher.

Many people are confused when hearing the phrase “International Scale of River Difficulty,” which is a standard scale used to measure or rate the safety of any particular river or single rapid. The river grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with any particular section of a river.

There are six levels, classes or grades and then a number, the scale on which the river is graded is neither fixed nor linear. When a river or rapid is given a number grade and then a plus or minus sign, it is to denote if the section rates higher or lower on the scale of difficulty.

The class of a river or rapid is bound to change with the level of the water and higher water usually means rapids are more treacherous. However, there are some rapids which could be easy to maneuver at a high flow because there are some washed out areas. When a river is at flood stage, even rapids can contain highly dangerous or catastrophic materials which can be unpredictable. Some rivers with high volumes of fast moving water will need to have someone expert behind the wheel of the boat, if not it could mean the boat would capsize and people could possibly drown.

The specific river grading system in America is an expanded and more detailed version of the international one, which is typically used by floaters, white water organizations and others. In the US, classes include the following: (classes of water in Missouri only are the ones discussed here)

• Class I: fast moving water with small waves and ripples, risk to swimmers is slight, being rescued is fairly easy. Few obstructions in the water, all are readily witnessed and easy to avoid with a bit of training.
• Grade II: rapids with clear, wide channels, occasional maneuvering may be necessary. Swim with caution and rapids at the upper ends of the scale are considered to have a difficulty range of Class II+.
• Class III: irregular waves on rapids could be difficult to avoid and could capsize and swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvering in fast currents is necessary and large waves may be present, scouting is necessary for those individuals that have little to no experience. It is recommended to take a group along for people that are not strong swimmers to avoid these conditions.

When wanting to take a vacation on one of the many bodies of water in Missouri, it is always advisable to preplan. Having the right supplies, the best equipment and skilled help along the way is strongly encouraged, but should not deter anyone from making the most of the majestic beauty of Missouri’s lakes and rivers.