Minutes of the Chouteau Grotto Meeting
Wednesday, May 2, 2001

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM.

11 members were present. There was a new face, Scott Stewart, who lives in Columbia and may join the Grotto.

There was no Treasurer's Report

MSS Director's Report: Rita Worden and Bob Lerch reported that the MSS Meeting will be at the Runge Nature Center, rather than in Rolla, on May 19.

Foresight Editor's Report: Patti Williamson will be leaving us in August. We are saddened and in need of a replacement for the Editor's job.  Patti still needs any cave reports and photos you would like to have published in 2000 Foresights, and also needs reports and photos for the first quarter 2001 issue.

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Superintendent's Report: Scott Schulte reports that there is a promising sinkhole not far from one of the branches of the Devil's Ice Box. It may be large enough for a small person or a camera to enter (he spoke with Orin Worden about the possibility of dropping a video camera in there). Scott would like a party of up to three interested persons to have a look at the sinkhole and evaluate its potential. He may be contacted at the Park at 449-7400.

Scott also announced there would be a cave rescue training drill in the Devil's Ice Box this September. The date will be announced soon. Scott would also like the Grotto to submit a new "call-out" list to him; this would have the names and contact numbers of any Grotto members who are willing to be called upon in the event of a missing person or other emergency involving caves in our area.

Scott is also willing to have the Grotto use Park land for our annual chicken roast. Mike Morgan will suggest a date and request a reservation soon.

Scott reminded us that the Park is responsible for part of the Katy Trail. He thinks there is potential for new caves to be found, or rediscovered, in the bluffs above the trail, especially once the trees have lost their leaves. Land owners would need to be contacted. Anyone interested in looking for such caves should contact Scott.

Cave Reports:

Rita Worden, Bob Lerch, Joe Dom, Patti Williamson, Jessie Bebb and Eva Pelkey recently did a mapping trip in Hunter's Cave, mapping another 196 feet of passage and emerging around 1 AM. They continued caving at Country Kitchen until about 3 AM.

Rita Worden, Orin Worden and Mike (Morgan?) ridgewalked in Moniteau County last month and saw some promising karst. Rita reported a potential discharge of effluent in one sinkhole.

Rita was recently on the Buffalo Trail above Arkansas' Buffalo River, and passed around nice photos of a collapsed cave canyon (with weathered flowstone on the canyon walls).

Patti Williamson, Bob Lerch, Andy Lerch and Zack Wagner mapped in Fisher Cave on April 21. Anyone interested in future CRF mapping trips should contact Patti or Bob for information.

Upcoming Cave Trips:

MVOR this weekend!

Other:

We discussed the problems of wastewater in the Brookfield Estates development south of the Rock Bridge park, near Bluebird Lane. It seemed there was no one at the meeting who could contribute expertise on the groundwater and geology situation here -- and that it might not in fact be a situation that will affect karst --  but it was suggested that Joe Englen at DNR, or Jim Van Dyke at DGLS, might be able to advise.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:34 P.M.

There was;§‘É *p;­BPspectfully s;éÉtted,

Joe Hobbs
Secretary