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signed the bill de-authorizing the project. This was one of the first times that a Corps of
Engineers project was stopped once construction had begun, and it marked a major victory for the American environmental movement.
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populations where large springs flowing into the river provide the cool water required by these species. Red Ribbon trout streams are managed by the
Missouri Department of Conservation to produce trophy-sized fish.
1197:
to be put on ballots in twelve surrounding counties. On August 8, 1978, 64 percent of the voters rejected the dam proposal. The referendum carried no legal weight but caused
Congress to reconsider. Under President
875:
rivers in
Missouri. Local and state government along the river have taken steps in cleaning it up. Today the river is one of the most diverse waters in Missouri. The river is plentiful in black
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1419:
686:. Early variant spellings of the name were Mearamigoua, Maramig, Mirameg, Meramecsipy, Merramec, Merrimac, Mearmeig, and Maramecquisipi. The first European explorer was
1628:
1391:"Flood Thy Neighbor: Who Stays Dry and Who Decides? One Missouri town's levee saga captures what's wrong with America's approach to controlling rivers"
1159:
intervened, and plans were delayed and altered, but the
Meramec Basin Project finally started moving forward in the 1960s. The main dam was to be at
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designed by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, was spared. For the first time in state history, MoDOT had to shut down I-55 from flooding in 2015.
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is the fifth-largest spring in
Missouri. Maramec Spring Park, south of St. James, is the home of an historic iron works and trout fishery.
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headline stated that "Two catastrophic floods in less than two years wasn't just a case of bad luck," and attributed the flooding to "
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434:(the original US mapping spelled it Maramec but later changed it to Meramec), is one of the longest free-flowing waterways in the
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The origin of the name is unclear, but some have asserted that it might mean 'the river of ugly fishes' or 'ugly water' in
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982:. In addition to a flood in December 1982, there was major flooding December 2015 and in May 2017. Only the community of
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This map shows the extent of the main reservoir that would have been created at
Sullivan by the Meramec Basin Project.
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699:, who traveled the river in 1699–1700. Early on, the river became an important industrial shipping route, with
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The
Meramec River includes one of only three Red Ribbon Trout Areas in the state of Missouri, hosting healthy
515:
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opposition forced politicians originally in favor of the project to reconsider. At the request of
Senators
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of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as from recreational users of the free-flowing Meramec. The failure of the
526:. Between its source and its mouth, it falls 1,025 feet (312 m). Year-round navigability begins above
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The free-flowing Meramec River and several of its tributaries narrowly avoided being impounded by several
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This story is part of an ongoing collaboration with Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
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that both constricts and swells waterways through levee construction and flood plain development."
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and Valley Park bracing for “100-year” floods twice during a 16 month period between 2015-2017. A
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1314:"Jefferson County Place Names, 1928-1945 | The State Historical Society of Missouri"
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For the spring at the head of the Meramec River and the park encompassing it, see
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Flood risk along the Meramec is increasing, with the communities of cities like
1420:"Two catastrophic floods in less than two years wasn't just a case of bad luck"
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Today, the river is used commercially by tour boats and sand and gravel mining
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and Meramec river basins in 1938 following severe flooding in 1927 and 1937.
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travel along the river and up over the bluffs, giving the hiker a glimpse of
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1257:"USGS Surface Water data for Missouri: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics"
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in 1976 increased the public's doubt about the wisdom of the project.
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and other species of wildlife which may be seen along the river.
1339:"Six ways the floods of 2015 and 1982 were surprisingly similar"
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U.S. Department of the Interior Water Resources of Missouri
1202:, funding was removed from the project. In 1981, President
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Blanc, Todd J.; Caldwell, Mark; Hawks, Michelle Hawks.
1459:"The Meramec Basin Project: A Look Back 25 Years Later"
1527:
The Meramec Basin Project - A Look Back 25 Years Later
1389:
Lisa Song; Patrick Michels; Al Shaw (August 6, 2018).
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At one time, the river was listed as one of the most
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1539:Meramec River flood damage (Video) from March 2008
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565:Canoers enjoy a float trip on the Meramec below
1278:Blanc, Caldwell, and Hawk. "Executive Summary"
928:(Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis)
1151:authorized several large dams in the upper
1063:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
795:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
606:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
923:beds in the state. The endangered Eastern
64:
1629:Rivers of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri
1127:Learn how and when to remove this message
859:Learn how and when to remove this message
670:Learn how and when to remove this message
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1624:Rivers of St. Francois County, Missouri
16:River in the American state of Missouri
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534:. The Meramec's size increases at the
313:3,980 sq mi (10,300 km)
1614:Rivers of Washington County, Missouri
1472:, Article 69 & 70 Combined. 2006.
1382:
1337:Durrie Bouscaren (January 20, 2016).
1269:Blanc, Caldwell, and Hawk. "Location"
549:The Meramec River looking north from
19:For articles with similar names, see
1604:Rivers of Gasconade County, Missouri
1594:Rivers of St. Louis County, Missouri
1589:Rivers of Jefferson County, Missouri
1564:Tributaries of the Mississippi River
1417:
1330:
1061:adding citations to reliable sources
1028:
793:adding citations to reliable sources
760:
604:adding citations to reliable sources
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1619:Rivers of Reynolds County, Missouri
1584:Rivers of Franklin County, Missouri
1579:Rivers of Crawford County, Missouri
1482:Missouri Department of Conservation
13:
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955:The Meramec River flowing through
14:
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1599:Rivers of Maries County, Missouri
1574:Rivers of Phelps County, Missouri
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1634:Rivers of Texas County, Missouri
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971:As a free-flowing river with no
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1609:Rivers of Iron County, Missouri
1569:Rivers of Dent County, Missouri
1517:National Park Service: Missouri
1288:Leinicke, Connie (2022-03-02).
1411:
1306:
1290:"Who Named the Meramec River?"
1281:
1249:
986:, protected by a $ 50 million
494:—and portions of eight others—
254: • coordinates
173: • coordinates
1:
1559:Bodies of water of the Ozarks
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446:to where it empties into the
139:Physical characteristics
1512:US EPA Meramec River Website
1364:"Spring 2017 Flooding Event"
1294:The City of Arnold, Missouri
978:, the Meramec is subject to
293: • elevation
212: • elevation
7:
1418:Gray, Bryce (May 8, 2017).
1210:
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331: • location
238: • location
157: • location
10:
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1370:. National Weather Service
919:, and some of the richest
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343: • average
216:1,075 ft (328 m)
70:Path of the Meramec River
33:
29:Merrimack (disambiguation)
18:
1470:Ozark Mountain Experience
1238:(contaminated ghost town)
930:also lives in the river.
711:being sent downstream by
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25:Merrimac (disambiguation)
1343:Saint Louis Public Radio
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1007:worrisome climate trends
382: • right
297:350 ft (110 m)
57:Onondaga Cave State Park
21:Meramec (disambiguation)
1425:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
1217:List of Missouri rivers
1003:St. Louis Post Dispatch
370: • left
1193:allowed a non-binding
1169:environmental movement
1149:United States Congress
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1502:Missouri Trout Hunter
1236:Times Beach, Missouri
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1017:Meramec Basin Project
957:Castlewood State Park
954:
737:excursions. Numerous
729:. It also is used by
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548:
430:), sometimes spelled
347:3,318 cu/ft. per sec.
276:38.39056°N 90.34444°W
195:37.50806°N 91.32750°W
129:Valley Park, Missouri
1189:, Missouri Governor
1057:improve this section
789:improve this section
600:improve this section
466:covers six Missouri
117:Steelville, Missouri
551:Route 66 State Park
356:Basin features
281:38.39056; -90.34444
272: /
200:37.50806; -91.32750
191: /
1554:Rivers of Missouri
1532:2007-02-18 at the
1464:2007-02-18 at the
1165:Meramec State Park
1161:Sullivan, Missouri
1145:Corps of Engineers
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470:Highland counties—
121:Sullivan, Missouri
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1478:"Meramec River"
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1076:"Meramec River"
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881:channel catfish
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808:"Meramec River"
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462:. The Meramec
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1042:This section
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935:rainbow trout
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849:February 2023
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784:
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774:This section
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660:February 2023
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594:
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585:This section
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1485:. Retrieved
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1429:. Retrieved
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1398:. Retrieved
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1372:. Retrieved
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1346:. Retrieved
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1321:. Retrieved
1317:
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1297:. Retrieved
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1200:Jimmy Carter
1187:Tom Eagleton
1177:
1157:World War II
1138:
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1097:
1090:
1083:
1071:
1055:Please help
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1011:flood policy
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787:Please help
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657:
647:
640:
633:
626:
614:
598:Please help
586:
516:St. Francois
431:
395:
393:
1368:weather.gov
1179:Grass-roots
1153:Mississippi
984:Valley Park
939:brown trout
901:brown trout
361:Tributaries
279: /
198: /
162:Dent County
1548:Categories
1487:2012-08-17
1452:References
1431:2019-12-08
1395:ProPublica
1323:2023-06-15
1299:2023-06-15
1195:referendum
1087:newspapers
925:Hellbender
893:paddlefish
819:newspapers
735:ferry boat
684:Algonquian
630:newspapers
536:confluence
508:Washington
436:U.S. state
310:Basin size
267:90°20′40″W
264:38°23′26″N
186:91°19′39″W
183:37°30′29″N
1400:August 7,
1374:August 7,
1348:August 7,
1318:shsmo.org
1223:Big River
1173:Teton Dam
1044:does not
961:St. Louis
905:rock bass
776:does not
720:steamboat
587:does not
532:St. James
500:Gasconade
492:St. Louis
488:Jefferson
464:watershed
452:St. Louis
387:Big River
322:Discharge
1530:Archived
1462:Archived
1211:See also
1191:Kit Bond
980:flooding
967:Flooding
915:, white
873:polluted
713:flatboat
567:Leasburg
540:Dry Fork
512:Reynolds
484:Franklin
480:Crawford
460:Oakville
440:Missouri
247:Missouri
166:Missouri
97:Missouri
78:Location
1101:scholar
1065:removed
1050:sources
999:Pacific
917:crappie
913:walleye
877:crappie
833:scholar
797:removed
782:sources
757:Ecology
751:beavers
644:scholar
608:removed
593:sources
557:History
538:of the
83:Country
1147:. The
1103:
1096:
1089:
1082:
1074:
995:Eureka
921:mussel
835:
828:
821:
814:
806:
747:herons
739:trails
727:barges
709:timber
707:, and
694:priest
691:Jesuit
688:French
646:
639:
632:
625:
617:
522:, and
496:Maries
490:, and
476:Phelps
456:Arnold
364:
325:
302:Length
243:Arnold
151:
148:Source
113:Cities
107:Ozarks
103:Region
27:, and
1243:Notes
1163:, at
1108:JSTOR
1094:books
988:levee
959:near
840:JSTOR
826:books
743:ducks
731:canoe
717:draft
651:JSTOR
637:books
524:Texas
468:Ozark
450:near
444:Salem
226:Mouth
93:State
1402:2018
1376:2018
1350:2018
1185:and
1141:dams
1080:news
1048:any
1046:cite
976:dams
937:and
812:news
780:any
778:cite
705:iron
701:lead
623:news
591:any
589:cite
504:Iron
472:Dent
458:and
394:The
1059:by
791:by
602:by
454:at
438:of
55:At
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414:ɪ
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