OCDA News

07-05-08  The NSS-CDS Missouri mini-workshop is being held September 19-21 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. For more up to date info on this event click here.

07-02-08  A recent visual survey of 4 major springs in the area has shown either muddy or milky conditions present. This has been a really wet year which started early and hasn't improved.

03-25-08  Our website will be down for a day as our server is moved to a larger and faster network. This will happen on or about the 29th of March. Update - the site is performing much better.

03-23-08  Heavy rains and record flooding in Arkansas and Missouri have really put a damper on spring diving. Currently all projects are on hold due to poor conditions That's 3 months in a row the Ozarks have been hit hard.

02-16-08  More precipitation has hit the area again resulting in high spring flows for this time of year. We're hoping for better weather for the upcoming Nesbitt and Devil's Icebox dives.

01-09-08  Heavy rains have once again moved though Missouri and hammered the springs. As a result 3 projects are currently on hold.

01-02-08   After 10 years of hard work and major accomplishments, Jason Weisacosky has decided to resign as Director of the team. Steve Gridley has assumed the position of team director for the OCDA. Dirk Bennett has taken over the position of equipment and safety.

12-29-07  Habitat construction is complete. The Gridley designed structure is in place and the old habitat has been removed from the spring. Due to Steve's building expertise the new structure is level within .5" and looking good. Installation of this new habitat is the first step towards exploring and mapping the farther reaches of the system.

11-03-07  A new habitat installation has begun in Roubidoux Spring for extended exploration. The newly designed habitat will be much more stable than the older habitat currently in position there.

10-10-07  An exploration trip in Devil's Icebox Cave found 1300'+ of new cave passage beyond a sump in the far reaches of the system.  Assisting in the September effort were WCT guides and other cave volunteers; without their help the 15 hour trip would not have been possible.

9-04-07   Waiting for conditions to improve at 3 sites. Roubidoux Spring setup is again on hold after recent flooding there. Updated habitat design and construction continues. The team will assist in sump exploration in a popular cave system in the next week, more details at a later date.

6-04-07  Safety Day scheduled for Beaver Lake bluffs area 6-16-07. This annual event allows the team to practice all necessary skills such as cpr, unconscious diver extraction, towing out of air diver, etc.

4-29-07  The OCDA welcomes several sponsored divers to the ranks. Good to have you guys on board.

4-18-07   Still waiting for conditions to improve in our area where there's been a lot of precipitation. The Roubidoux gauge is high again as is the Current River.

2-03-07  Added Hell Creek to the Sump Diving page and Alexander Cave to the Photo Gallery page.

2-02-07   Aside from assisting in biodiversity surveys things have been quiet in the area. Local conditions have been grim with high stream gauges and heavy amounts of rain and snow.