Long Branch State Park

Long Branch State Park
Missouri State Park
Visitors Center near the entrance to the state park
Country United States
State Missouri
County Macon
Elevation 791 ft (241 m) [1]
Coordinates 39°46′18″N 92°31′46″W / 39.77167°N 92.52944°W / 39.77167; -92.52944Coordinates: 39°46′18″N 92°31′46″W / 39.77167°N 92.52944°W / 39.77167; -92.52944
Area 1,828.47 acres (740 ha) [2]
Established 1983 [3]
Management Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Visitation 355,740 (2014) [4]
Location in Missouri
Website: Long Branch State Park

Long Branch State Park is a state park in the US state of Missouri consisting of 1,828.47 acres (739.96 ha) located in Macon County, adjacent to the Long Branch Reservoir. It is located two miles west of Macon, Missouri on U.S. Highway 36.

History

Aerial view of Long Branch Lake and dam. The smaller lake in the background is Macon City Lake.

Flooding along the Little Chariton River was an ongoing problem for the residents of Macon County and elsewhere in northeast Missouri since the area was first settled in the 1830s. Extensive channelization of the main Chariton river by private entities, local governments, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers while alleviating flooding issues in some areas, exacerbated them for others.[5] In the mi-1970s a project to solve the problem by damming the east fork of the Little Chariton was begun. Completed in 1978, a 71-foot-high earthen dam impounds water for flood control, public recreation, and wildlife conservation.[6] Long Branch Lake is the reservoir created by the dam, with about 24 miles of shoreline and a flood-control capacity of 98,000 acre-feet. In addition to the adjacent state-run state park, the dam has a visitor's center at its southern end, and the Atlanta State Wildlife Area at its northern end near Atlanta, Missouri.

State park

Long Branch State Park was created by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 1983 after reaching a long term lease agreement with the Corps of Engineers for use of the land.[7] It features a wide variety of outdoor activities:


References

  1. "Long Branch Dam". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Missouri State Park Advisory Board Annual Report 2008". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  3. "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  4. "Missouri State Park Attendance (2014)" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  5. A Book of Adair County History. Kirksville, Missouri: Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee. 1976.
  6. "Long Branch Lake: Dam and Embankment". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  7. "About Long Branch State Park". Yelp.com. 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  8. Doogs, Brian (June 24, 2012). "Park gets high-tech with improvements". KTVO-TV. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  9. "Fishing at Long Branch State Park". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  10. "Trails at Long Branch State Park". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  11. "Picnic area at Long Branch State Park". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  12. "Long Branch State Park". Missouri State Parks. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 9, 2014.

External links

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