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  • April

    This lake sturgeon, captured for monitoring and released, is an impressive dinosaur of a fish, covered in rows of diamond-shaped scutes instead of scales. It has four barbels that act as sensory organs hanging from their snout, helping them locate prey. Biologist study lake sturgeon to improve populations and habitat areas. The lake sturgeon is a benthivorous, meaning they eat prey from the bottom of water bodies.

    Incorporating environmental flows through the Sustainable Rivers Program to support lake sturgeon spawning continues to prove successful

    The lake sturgeon, an ancient whisker-snouted fish from the Cretaceous period, is tied to present-day conservation efforts on the Mississippi River at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in West Alton, Missouri. Despite their name, lake sturgeon, also known as “rubbernose or rock” sturgeon, are found in rivers and lakes. Evolving 150 million years ago, long before the evolution of the T-Rex and the other dinosaurs, they have scale-less skin and diamond-shaped plates along their back. Mature lake sturgeon live up to their unique legacy by reaching eight feet in length, weighing more than 200 pounds, and living over 100 years, making them extraordinarily impressive fish. These giants of the fish world are sustained from a diet of snails, crayfish, mussels, and aquatic insects found with barbel sensors and their suction-like toothless mouths.

  • January

    The holiday displays line the roadway at the Festival of Lights auto tour at Wappapello Lake during the 2023 event held throughout December. This event sponsored by the Wappapello Lake Area Association and River Radio has continued for 31 years allowing local businesses, churches and clubs the opportunity to share their holiday spirit by festively decorating a campsite in the Redman Creek West Recreation Area.

    2023 Annual Festival of Lights Auto Tour illuminates Redman Creek West Recreation Area at Wappapello Lake

    This festive competition and public event, held annually since 1992 features holiday displays sponsored by local businesses along with appearances by Mr. and Mrs. Claus where visitors get to drive through a festively decked out auto tour in the Redman Creek West Campground located in Wappapello, Missouri.  Supported by volunteers from the Wappapello Lake Area Association and River Radio, area businesses drape lights on campers, tractors, and trees and add in their favorite wooden cutouts and holiday mascots that all come together in hopes of winning this year’s contest and spreading Christmas cheer to all that come to visit. Categories included first, second, and third place of the best decorated campsites.