Wildlife Refuge near Arrow Rock re-opens to firearms hunting

The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge will allow firearms hunting again on the Jameson Island Unit of the Refuge, according to a news release from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Unit previously was restricted to archery hunting only to provide safer conditions for contractors working in the 1,870 acres of public land in the Missouri River floodplain.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted the contract and removed workers and equipment from the Unit.

Firearm hunters are urged to follow all standard safety practices. Hunters should be aware other uses such as hiking, mushroom gathering and bird watching are permitted and encouraged.

The Jameson Island Unit is again open to all legal hunting methods in accordance with state and federal codes, and state seasons.

Approved non-toxic shot must be used for all shotgun hunting, including turkey. Refuge visitors should be aware of current hunting seasons.

The Refuge continues to pursue wildlife habitat improvements to reconnect the Missouri River with its floodplain. The Jameson Island Chute Project includes restoration of shallow water habitat through creation of a new side channel chute on the Missouri River.

Construction may renew at a later date. If that occurs, Jameson Island Unit will again be restricted to hunting with archery methods only.

The shallow water habitat project consisted of notching existing bank revetments and dikes, and excavating a 100-foot wide channel.

The side channel or chute will wind north to south through the unit and be approximately 1.8 miles long. Grade control structures in the chute will allow some natural channel meandering, but will limit the scour of the chute's bank to less than 300 feet width.

The amount of flow diverted from the Missouri River into the side channel will be less than 10 percent and have no negative impact on navigation, flood control or other authorized uses.

Shallow, slower water provides better habitat for many fishes, invertebrates, birds, and other wildlife in particular the endangered pallid sturgeon.

For further information about the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge visit us on the web at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/bigmuddy.