Hatchery stocking 1.8 fish per angler through fishing season

By Sheila Harris [email protected]

“Thank my staff members next time you see them out and about,” Roaring River State Park Superintendent Mike Busekrus told the audience during the park’s annual public meeting at the Emory Melton Inn Thursday night.

Busekrus credits his staff with working magic in the park over the last year, by completing numerous projects, including the new wastewater system – a project that had been ongoing for 15 months.

Almost no structure in the park was left untouched by the staff’s wand. Cabin 9 received an exterior remodel; two showers in Campground 3 were renovated; improvements were made to the Honeymoon Cabin; the schoolhouse was treated for termites; the park store office and Dry Hollow restrooms got a paint job; a new deck beam was installed above the ground floor on the CCC Lodge; Camp Smokey received a new shake roof over the staff’s quarters, a new dishwasher in the dining hall, and a bathroom upgrade; partnering with Barry County Electric Co-op, new electric service – with part of the connections underground – was installed to serve Cabins 1 – 9; and a new classroom was completed in the Ozark Chinquapin Nature Center, essentially doubling its usable square footage, according to Nature Center Interpreter David Crowley.

The new classroom is available for use by school and other groups interested in reserving it for educational experiences.

Since last June, Crowley said more than 6,000 people have toured the nature center, which is open Friday to Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The park offers a variety of interpretive programs through the nature center, including cave hikes, river walks and snake programs. This year, however, they will add to their line-up. New offerings include Fly Casting 101, Night Hikes, Trivia Nights, Fossil Hikes, Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Hunts and Fly Tying.

Weekly program schedules can be found on the park’s Facebook page (with the red Making Missouri Memories icon), the park’s bulletin boards, or by calling the Park Office or Nature Center.

Upcoming events include Fly Tying & Coffee, the third Saturday morning of every month; the Geminid Meteor Shower, Saturday, Dec. 11; First Day Hikes, Friday, Jan. 1, 2027 (Registration opens Dec 1); and Bald Eagle Day, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027.

WOW School is scheduled this year for Oct. 9-11. Class registration will open in August, Crowley said. Watch the park’s Facebook page and the WOW School website for the date.

Busekrus reminded the community that bus grants are available to help cover fuel costs for schools who would like to bring student groups to the park. Information about the program can be found at https://mostateparks.com/page/missouri-state-parks-bus-grant-program .

“When I served as the superintendent at the Nathan Boone Homestead, we had school groups from as far away as the Bootheel who used bus grants to travel to Springfield,” he said.

Busekrus said other projects completed throughout the year include tree removal from stream beds, cleaning up storm debris, the reworking of five sites in Campground 2 and the re-routing of Fire Tower Trail.

“Fire Tower Trail is now located completely north of F Highway,” Busekrus said.

The new trail head is near the old horse barn.

A group of student volunteers from Penn State University chose Roaring River as the chosen site for their “Alternative Spring Break,” this year. The students spent a week in March working on Devil’s Kitchen, Deer Leap, Pibern and Eagle’s Nest Trails, Busekrus said.

During the upcoming season, volunteers with an RV-centric organization, “A Year to Volunteer,” will be donating their time and labor to make additional improvements to Camp Smokey. Community members and campers are invited to join them.

A couple of new flood-safety measures have been implemented, including the installation of a camera alongside Dry Hollow, which will allow park personnel to gauge the depth of water coming from the west during heavy rains.

“In the past, someone had to run back and forth on foot to warn us how high flood waters were getting,” Busekrus said.

According to Busekrus, moving forward, the park will partner with Northeastern University (and other rural communities) in a project called FloodSavvy. The project simplifies the National Water Model into a user-friendly dashboard to provide forecasted river conditions for ungauged streams. Currently, the park’s single USGS gauge is located near the bridge on Highway F.

Roaring River Valley has historically been susceptible to flash-flooding, but Busekrus is hopeful that with the new tools in the park’s belt, including the installation of new storm sirens last year, earlier flood warnings can be provided to campers.

“Check our Facebook page for weather alerts,” he said.

In addition to flood warnings, the fire system at the Emory Melton Inn has been improved, along with upgrades to locks, kitchen equipment and the acoustic system. Roaring River Adventures (RRA), the park’s concessionaire, partnered with the park on those improvements, as well as on upgrades to the Park Store, and on HVAC units in several cabins.

Under the direction of Concessions Manager Jotham Brown, Roaring River Adventures also partnered with community groups for charity events last year, including a benefit for the Breast Cancer Foundation, and the holiday Festival of Trees in November and December.

“One of our housekeepers suggested hosting a holiday coat drive using the numerous coat-hooks we have in the inn,” Brown said. “That event also proved to be a big success.

“I really want to thank all of our community partners for working with us. I appreciate everything you do.”

More exciting events are planned in the park for the upcoming year.

Roaring River Adventures Chef Nina Baltzell will plan and serve quarterly chef-tasting events, in the style of the inaugural event held a couple of weeks ago at the Emory Melton Inn: these, in addition to the special buffets scheduled for holidays.

Baltzell is also looking forward to hosting more private events in the park.

“We hosted our first wedding a couple of months ago,” Baltzell said. “We thought it was a great success. We had 100 guests in attendance.”

For information about reserving space for weddings, reunions and other types of banquets, visit the Roaring River Adventures Facebook page, or call 417-847-2330.

Roaring River Adventures will also go mobile, Baltzell said, with portable concession meals for park concerts and other events.

Assistant Park Superintendent Amanda Cope said repeats of last year’s popular events are again in this year’s line-up.

“We’re changing our Aug. 15 Kids’ Fishing Day, this year, to a Family Fishing Day,” Cope said. “We’ll have activities that are more family-inclusive.”

The second annual Trout O’ Lantern Festival is scheduled for Oct. 24 and 25, with prizes awarded for the best decorated campsites. A Trunk or Treat event will be held in the parking lot of the Emory Melton Inn on the 25th.

A Holiday Open House will be held Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon, where door sprays can be created under the tutelage of park staff.

That date will also mark the beginning of the Festival of Trees and holiday shopping in the park store.

People can also mark their calendars for Dec. 19, from 5-8 p.m., the date and time of the third annual Candlelight Stroll, said Cope. Last year’s event drew 1,500 guests, who strolled among 1,000 luminaries placed along walkways in the park.

“We had double the number of luminaries and double the number of guests than we had at our first event,” Cope said. “Santa will be in the CCC Lodge, and we’ll have cookies and cocoa and a limited number of giveaway ornaments.”

A candlelight dinner will also be served at the Inn for those who schedule reservations in advance.

On an earthier note, a new restroom has been delivered to the park for installation near the fish-cleaning station in Zone 3. Although the restroom will be welcome, there may be some impediments to parking and fish-cleaning until the structure is installed, Busekrus said.

In fish news, Roaring River Hatchery Manager Brad Farwell reported that his team is currently releasing 1.8 trout per projected fisherman, based on last year’s tag sales. The fish are 12 inches in length, or perhaps a bit larger, Farwell said.

The oxygen-line project has been completed at the hatchery, and four new UV units have been installed to increase bacteria mitigation capabilities.

Due to Emerald Ash Borer disease, Natural Resource Ecologist Murphy Kendoll advises campers not to bring their own campfire wood to Roaring River. The deadly insect-borne disease has played a part in the destruction of some 90 trees in the park over the past year.

“The number one means of spread is through the transporting of infested wood,” Kendall said.

The park is working with Forrest-Keeling nursery to replace missing trees by planting saplings the nursery grows from native seeds donated by the park.

Prescribed burns during the past year included 4,050 acres in Pine Hollow.

“[It] was the largest joint burn Missouri State Parks has participated in, in conjunction with the Forest Service,” Busekrus said.

Busekrus has another impressive roster of park improvements lined up for the upcoming year, including continued upgrades to sites in Campground 2, restoration of the CCC Shelter, more cabin upgrades, schoolhouse work and the replacement of playground equipment for Zone 1.

Capital improvement projects, such as those listed above, are paid for by funds generated within the park, along with the infusion of some federal funds.

For operating expenses (salaries, utilities, etc.), Roaring River State Park is one of 93 state parks and historic sites in Missouri that depend on revenue generated from the one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax initially approved by voters in 1984. Called the Parks, Soils and Water Sales and Use Tax, revenue from the tax is split evenly between the Missouri Parks system and the state’s Soil & Water Conservation Program. Last year, the tax generated some $140 million in total revenue.

Missouri voters are being asked to renew that tax for another 10-year interval in the Aug. 4 primary.

What has been accomplished with that tax is on full display in Roaring River State Park, which drew 1,254,931 visitors to Barry County in 2025.

In 2028, the park will mark its 100th Anniversary.