WEST ALTON, MO. - Last week, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources conducted a prescribed controlled burn within the Edward "Ted" and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park. Many pointed out the smoke in the air to Riverbender.com and wanted to know the cause.
Quinn Kellner, a parks superintendent at Confluence Point State Park, said the prescribed controlled burn is something they have done each year in recent years.
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“It is one time a year and it allows us to start fresh and it helps new things grow,” he said. “This does help us control willows and cottonwoods that are prevalent on the property. We think the prescribed burn was very successful and it has helped us get the appropriate plant species that belong there.”
The park official said a lot of preparatory work goes into the prescribed burn.
“We have plenty of staff available to cover the necessary areas and deal with the fire conditions that may come up. Believe it or not, some folks were actually out putting seeds out the next day for new plants. Distributing seed this time of year is an ideal time to get to the correct depth on its own with snow and rain events.”
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