Jerry and I had the pleasure of hanging out with our neighbors, Jeanie and Kevin Skibiski, in Crane, MO this month. Jeanie and Kevin are the owners of Walnut Bend Lodge located just outside of Crane. The lodge provides guests of the property areas to hunt and fish. Jeanie, a member of the Gatton family, has a large family history in Crane. She is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and is an Associate Professor at Missouri State University. Kevin is a retired civil and structural engineer.

While this lodge is not only stunning, with so much charm and character, they have put so much more into it than meets the eye. Originally owned by Jeanie’s grandparents, the farm had a barn on the property that was more than 100 years old. Though the barn could not be restored, Kevin and Jeanie wanted to honor the history of the property with lumber from the old barn. When they disassembled the barn, they were careful to save as much material as possible. Turning dreams into reality, they built the lodge using the lumber from the 100-year-old barn; adding to the great history that the land had already offered.

In 2019, after completing construction, the lodge was opened to the public. Guests of the lodge can stay overnight, host an event, or enjoy it for a day. Overnight stays can accommodate 10 people, and daily use or events can entertain up to 20 people. The property offers access to Crane Creek, a designated Missouri blue ribbon trout stream and trophy trout area. Crane Creek holds a naturally reproducing population of McCloud River rainbow trout; a unique opportunity for fishermen. It is believed, through scientific testing, that this strain of McCloud River trout is one of only two left in existence. The farm has plenty of acreage for turkey and deer hunting and offers existing hunting blinds to guests.

While we could talk all day about the lodge and the land that surrounds it, something that may go unnoticed by guests is the huge effort Jeanie and Kevin have put in to preserving the section of Crane Creek that runs through their property. Two areas of concern to them were (1) a low water crossing affecting stream habitat and (2) several areas of bank erosion. They worked with state and county organizations to solve these issues and obtained grants to help them with their creek restoration efforts. The low water crossing was the original streambed. When crossed, vehicles would stir up silt and mud, which in turn, would lower oxygen levels in the stream. This affects fish and it harms small invertebrate insects. To correct this problem, precast articulated concrete blocks were laid for the low water crossing. The crossing is now stable and allows the stream to be crossed with little impact on the stream habitat. But another problem affecting the stream habitat still needed resolved. The Skibiskis noticed they were losing several feet of bank each year due to flood events. To help prevent the bank erosion, large rock was placed along the banks, and wing dams were built in these areas. Once the rocks were placed, native plants and shrubs were planted to help tie in the rocks and prevent more soil erosion. They have planted hundreds of trees along the creek over the past decade.

Jeanie and Kevin are great examples of environmental stewards, they practice what they preach. They want to remind people to help keep our waterways and nature areas clean by not littering, limiting herbicides for weed and insect control, and by doing your part to help organizations like H2Ozarks in their efforts to protect water quality and keep our water clean.

If you are looking for a peaceful, relaxing getaway, or want to have a unique fishing experience, visit Walnut Bend Lodge! Kevin and Jeanie would be happy to welcome you to their lodge and the beautiful land and water on Crane Creek.

From the Desk of Olivia Magnes

Outreach Coordinator

Do you know where your household water comes from? If you live in Northwest Arkansas, the answer is most likely Beaver Lake. We rely on this water for drinking, recreating, bathing, and much more. Sometimes, the Lake needs some T.L.C. from the community. You can spend a few hours one morning in October to help keep our drinking water supply litter-free.

Join us, our partners, and many happy volunteers to cleanup the shores of Beaver Lake on Saturday, October 22. You can venture out on your own, or create a team with family, friends, coworkers, or others. We’ll provide you with the cleanup supplies you’ll need, and feed you lunch afterwards. Check out the event website for more information and to register!

Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 5-3 of Kimberling City will be hosting a Boating Safety class at Gibson Technical School's fall adult education session. The first session will be Oct 3rd starting at 5:30pm and ending 8:30pm. The second session will be on the following Monday, Oct. 10th with the same times. This class is open to all ages whether your new to boating or an experienced boater wanting to brush up on current laws and procedures. This required for all who were born after Jan. 1984. Most insurance companies also will provide a discount with proof of taking this class. This class is taught by Coast Guard Certified instructors and the course is valid in all 50 states once taken. Cost of the class is $18.00 and you will leave with your certificate and card plus valuable information. For more information or to sign up contact Steve Larsen by email or call his cell 712-210-2123. Hope to see you there!