Rain, rain, go away! Though the Vernon County area could have used some moisture for its crops, the rainfall has possibly been a bit overwhelming in recent days. Pictured, Scott Eador and Joseph Fritts, both of Nevada, peer over the edge of Pump House bridge west of town last Wednesday, in hopes of catching some fish and other critters in the high waters flowing by. [Click to enlarge]

* Conservationist explores the impact of flooding on wildlife, habitat.

By Crystal D. Hancock

Nevada Daily Mail

Flooding waters have not only affected crops in the area, but the homes of wildlife in the area have been decrescent as well. Pictured is a northern water snake just off of twin briges west of Nevada, attempting to escape high waters by nestling itself in a tree just above the water. [Click to enlarge]

Precipitation in Missouri has been greatly affecting wildlife in the area in recent days. Rivers and creeks have been flooding, overflowing roads, pastures and causing damage to some basements of homes. Though many roads, such as Pump House, just west of Nevada, have become once again passable, there is a chance that, with current weather conditions, the waters might rise again soon.

As of Tuesday, floodwaters continued to rise across southwest Missouri, with rain falling in bursts of showers and thunderstorms during early morning hours. Not only are wildlife habitats being damaged, but some critters may not have made it through the recent floods.

"The floods not only displace a lot of critters out of the river bottoms, but some will die. Most will find high ground, however, since animals and reptiles have learned to adapt to the natural process of flooding. Birds and turkeys that had already started nesting before all of the extra rain, will most likely lose their nests and have to start over," said Scott Sudkamp, private land conservationist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Wild creatures have seemed out of place in the last week. Numerous turtles, frogs and snakes have been seen on roadways and many birds in the area seem to be lost. Nevertheless, Sudkamp said the news isn't all bad -- there are many pros to this type of situation concerning crops and critters both, from a conservationist's point of view.

"Flooding can cause significant habitat gains as well. Most are not terribly affected, but many river bottom dwelling critters may be out of sorts until the water subsides. Flooding can also enhance the presence of fresh nutrients in the area. These fresh nutrients stimulate annual plants to grow better which will in turn help produce more seeds than other plants," Sudkamp added.

Recent high water has caused much flooding in lowland corn and soybean fields. This has raised many questions about how to manage these crops, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Many things should be expected when crops are subjected to such conditions. Affected fields will contain a lot of debris and plants will have a lot of soil on them. Conditions will be dusty and dirty during harvest. Soybean crops likely will experience increased harvest losses and increased machinery problems during harvest. Many soybeans may be impossible to harvest due to lodging and debris. Farmers should monitor grain quality prior to harvest as well.

Other areas of the state have been greatly affected by rain recently as well. At least 20 levees have been overtopped as flood waters make their way down Missouri streams and rivers, according to www.cbsnews.com.

"It's a major flood," Suzanne Fortin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill said. "It won't be a record breaker, but it will be in the top three."

The Missouri River is at its highest level since the 1993 floods, threatening small towns and even parts of Kansas City and St. Louis, according to CBS news reports. Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has ordered damage assessments in 33 counties including Bates County, just north of Vernon. Vernon County is not included in the assessment process at this time.