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<br /> <br />Lake of the Ozarks <br />large mouth bass. <br />excellent quality, <br /> <br />is nationally renowned among fishermen <br />Cold-water trout fisheries also are of <br />although limited in quantity. <br /> <br />for <br /> <br />The Missouri River fishery is currently dominated by channel <br />catfish and various rough fishes, but the original array of fish <br />fauna still exists. Various sturgeons, including the pallid, <br />shovelnose, and lake, however, are rare, threatened, or <br />endangered and populations of blue catfish and paddlefish have <br />declined greatly. Some small streams such as the Niangua support <br />exceptionally diverse fauna including the rare endemic Niangua <br />darter. A recent study by the State of Missouri recommends that <br />this darter be federally listed for protection under the <br />Endangered Species Act. <br /> <br />Other important inhabitants of stream environments include: <br />(1) diverse mollusk fauna in the Ozark streams: (2) various <br />species of fur bearers, including a few river otters, documented <br />in only a few other areas of the basin: and (3) unique vertebrate <br />and invertebrate fauna associated with subterranean streams and <br />springs in caves. <br /> <br />Few waterfowl nest in the basin, limiting both propagation <br />and hunting. It is estimated that wetlands have declined along <br />the Missouri River by over 10,000 acres since 1951. However, <br />giant Canadian geese have increased in recent years under careful <br />State management at Trimble Wildlife Refuge. Nongame species <br />including the king rail, yellowheaded blackbird, boblink, and <br />osprey have also been declining. Only the endangered northern <br />bald eagle, often found wintering around reservoirs or along the <br />Missouri River, appears to be stable or increasing in population. <br /> <br />Favorable climate and diversity of land forms have supported <br />or permitted the development of a variety of natural, cultural, <br />and historic features which attract tourists. Such important <br />resource areas include those of (1) the Missouri River corridor <br />with its bluffs, forests, islands, sandbars, and rich cultural <br />and historic backdrop: (2) the Devil's Icebox and Sinkhole Plain: <br />(3) heavily forested segments of the Gasconade and Osage, and <br />Grand River corridors including attractive agricultural <br />landscapes, riverscapes, and reservoirs: (4) prairie lands in the <br />western part of the subbasin: and (5) certain free flowing <br />streams such as the Cedar, Niangua, and Gasconade Rivers. <br /> <br />The subbasin's 1975 population was estimated at slightly <br />more than 2 million, representing approximately 25 percent of the <br /> <br />-228- <br />