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Flooding forces temporary closure of parts of MDC's Busiek Area

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Flooding caused by heavy rainfall on April 28 has forced the temporary closure of a portion of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area in Christian County.

Surging water levels in Camp Creek and Woods Fork – the two streams that flow through the 2,700-acre area – caused significant damage to a number of features at Busiek. The bridge that allows access to the unmanned shooting range on the area has been washed away. Flooding has also damaged parts of the shooting range, the parking lot, the area's camping sites and the road that leads to the shooting range.

Because of this damage, the Busiek shooting range and the area’s camping sites will be temporarily closed to the public. Busiek’s main parking lot and the area’s hiking trails remain open, but visitors should be mindful that accessibility to some trails and parking spots may have been affected by flooding. Weather-permitting, MDC staff is hoping repairs can be made and all parts of the area can be re-opened to the public in the near future.

People who use the Busiek Area’s shooting range should keep in mind that the Busiek Area range is one of a number of unstaffed shooting ranges MDC operates across the state. Other MDC unstaffed ranges in southwest Missouri that have firearms opportunities (some ranges are archery-only) can be found at Flag Spring Conservation Area (Barry County), Pleasant Hope Conservation Area (Polk County) and Fort Crowder Conservation Area (Newton County)

In addition to these unstaffed facilities, the Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in Greene County is one of five staffed shooting ranges MDC operates in the state. Information about MDC’s staffed and unstaffed shooting ranges in the state can be found at:

https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/find/places/mdc-ranges