The Greenbelt Land Trust is negotiating a land donation for about 20 acres of vacant land along Hominy Branch creek about a half-mile upstream from its confluence with Hinkson Creek.
In order to “seal the deal” the Land Trust will need to raise sufficient money as a permanent stewardship fund and the board of directors currently is determining the amount of money that will be needed. The national Land Trust Alliance requires member land trusts to establish stewardship funds to ensure that the land can be managed in perpetuity.
Known as “Moon Valley” the property used to impound a reservoir in the creek with a dam built in the 1960s. This impoundment had filled with silt over the decades and the waterbody had become extremely shallow.
In March 2008, the dam burst and the creek began running again through a muddy floodplain. The property owner decided to donate the land to be managed as a nature sanctuary. Since then the Land Trust has been negotiating with the landowner to donate the property.
Part of the deal is a conservation easement along the creek that will be held by the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. A grant from the Conservation Heritage Foundation paid for removing the remnants of the concrete dam and for steam restoration.
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