Weldon Spring Conservation Area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Weldon Spring Conservation Area | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 A hiking trail near the lake | |
  | |
| Location | St. Charles County, Missouri, USA |
| Nearest city | Weldon Spring, MO |
| Coordinates | 38°40′30″N 90°46′10″W / 38.675°N 90.769444°W |
| Area | 8,398.09 acres (34.0 km2) |
| Established | 1978 |
| Governing body | Missouri Department of Conservation |
| Website | Official website |
The Weldon Spring Conservation Area, is a 8,398-acre (33.99 km2) conservation area that is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and located in St. Charles County, Missouri. The area borders the Missouri River, and the Katy Trail runs through the area but is not considered part of the conservation area.[1]
The area was named for John Weldon, who immigrated to the area in 1796 and acquired a 425-acre (1.72 km2) Spanish Land Grant. During WWII The U.S. Government acquired nearly 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) in the area to build a munitions plant. Portions of the Conservation Area were used by the Weldon Spring Ordnance Works, and old bunkers formerly used for the storage of TNT still dot the area.[2] The area is part of a superfund site, and has been decontaminated. TNT and uranium processing were done on this site.[1][3]
All of the land except the munitions plant was given to the University of Missouri in 1948 for use as an agricultural experiment station. The Department of Conservation originally purchased 7,230 acres (2,930 ha) from the University of Missouri to establish the conservation area in 1978.[1]
