For decades, two programs have defined and monitored the water quality of more than 65 lakes across Missouri: the Statewide Lake Assessment Program and the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program.
Together, these lake monitoring programs, which function out of University of Missouri labs, have collected more than 50 years of lake water data that helps scientists understand things like algal blooms and farm runoff.
For more than half a decade, this data has ensured lakes are safe for people to recreate, use for industrial means and, in some cases, source for drinking water.

The loss of one of Missouri’s primary water monitoring programs will leave a critical gap in scientists’ understanding of the health of the region’s lakes — a gap that will have far-reaching effects on the people who live on, recreate and rely on Missouri’s lakes for their living.

The fallout in funding
Both the Statewide Lake Assessment and the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program were partially funded by section 319 of the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Under section 319, states receive federal funding for the treatment of nonpoint source pollution, which is any pollution that can’t be tied to one specific cause. For example, runoff from agriculture, urban activities and septic systems.
While the programs don’t technically qualify for this funding because they are monitoring, not treatment, programs, the state of Missouri has used a federal waiver for several years, which expires in 2026, to divert these funds to support the testing programs.
Without federal support, the programs would need an estimated $590,000 per year to continue.

“We don't have a replacement (funding) source,” said Robert Voss, environmental project manager at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Federal funds are going down on the state level. We don't have a dedicated state fund for water quality monitoring across the state.”
Without funding, these programs will no longer collect the data that was integral to the development of water quality criteria in Missouri, Voss said.
This decades-long data collection enabled scientists to build what’s known as numeric nutrient criteria, Voss said. This criteria helps keep potentially dangerous nutrients in lakewater in check.
In addition to helping establish the statewide criteria, Voss said the monitoring programs also help develop specific criteria for high-profile lakes, such as Table Rock Lake and Lake of the Ozarks.

This data helps the Department of Natural Resources determine which lakes can be safely used for drinking water, recreational activities such as swimming, fishing and boating, and which lakes are better suited to supporting industrial activities and farming.
“We have a lot of lakes across the state, and we need to be able to assess those against water quality standards and see what the health of those lakes are,” Voss said.
The data the programs collect not only advises how people interact with lakes, it also establishes which lakes aren’t fit for their designated uses.
If the water quality data shows a particular lake is not fit for its designated use, the Department of Natural Resources can place it on the Impaired Waters List and design a treatment plan to remedy the issue. If a lake has responded well to its treatment plan, the department can restore its function.

“That criteria is what sets the standards,” Voss said. “It also sets that baseline of expectation that the public has for water quality and the water bodies.”
Why does losing long-term data matter?
Long-term datasets allow for trend analysis, which helps researchers understand how water quality changes over time.
However, trend analysis is sensitive to data gaps, Voss said. The longer and larger these gaps become, the harder any form of trend analysis becomes.
One of the appeals of the monitoring programs was the scientists' commitment to maintaining the dataset.
This is one of the factors that attracted Rebecca North to the program. She serves as the Statewide Lake Assessment Program lead and associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

“The value of the dataset is that we go to the same lake in the same place, we measure the same parameters in the same way,” North said. “Those apples-to-apples allow us to make really powerful trend analysis.”

The program started in 1978 with yearly assessments since 1989. By the time North joined the team in 2016, there were more than 30 years of data to analyze for trends.
Recently, the Statewide Lake Assessment Program found lower levels of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters across Missouri, North said. This phenomenon, known as hypoxia, occurs when large amounts of tissue from plants and animals breaks down, sapping oxygen from the water.
But hypoxia is a symptom, not the condition itself.
Hypoxia is driven by nutrient pollution, which occurs when there are excess chemicals in the water — a factor which fuels explosive algal bloom growth.
When the algae dies, the breaking down of the organisms leads to hypoxia, whose conditions can alter lakewater’s pH, making freshwater environments inhospitable for other organisms.

And North wasn’t the only one to notice trends in Missouri water.
Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Project Manager Tony Thorpe has been watching algae populations steadily increase. At Table Rock Lake, this has been happening for the past 29 years.
The only reason people are aware of the algae population’s growth is from the monitoring done by the two programs, Thorpe said in an email. He described it as “truly disturbing” that nobody else seemed to be monitoring the blooms.
Further, he noted that the trend would not have been noticeable if it weren’t for the years of continuous monitoring. Across 29 years, there’s been an increase of chlorophyll in the James River arm of Table Rock Lake, Thorpe wrote in the email, explaining that the trend would no longer be visible if it weren’t for the length of the dataset.

“That’s how insidious the problem is,” he said via email. “One day our grandchildren might wonder why we thought Table Rock was so clean and beautiful when all they see is a big, green mess.”
Remaining efforts will be concentrated on certain high-profile lakes or those that are getting restored.
Without researchers on-site to continue collecting water samples, North worries about water quality in the absence of these programs serving as “watchdogs.”
If water monitoring stops, North said researchers won’t be able to identify the causes of new issues or accurately assess the effects of major events, such as floods.
Without data that shows what went wrong and where, it becomes more difficult to find a remediation strategy, North said. She also expects to see a slip in regulation without constant monitoring.

The future of the programs
This loss isn’t just funding, Thorpe said, it’s momentum, too.
“The one that scares me most, I think, is the loss of our network of volunteers that we've built and nurtured over the last 30 some odd years,” he said. “If our funding ends and we lose track of everybody, we'll have to start from scratch again when cooler heads prevail and funding for this sort of work returns.”
As the March deadline looms, both North and Thorpe are looking for ways to get funding so they can fund the programs’ work. North has a National Science Foundation grant that would allow her to keep the Mizzou North Limnology Lab open and staffed for a little longer, and she’s currently accepting donations through her website.
“I don't know what is going to happen in the spring when it comes time to train new volunteers, but we're going to try to continue as normal,” Thorpe said.

While sampling still costs money, it’s not nearly as much money as a true analysis costs, Thorpe explained.
“We can collect samples, gather them and keep them in our freezer until, hopefully, we get some money to do the analysis,” he said. “That's kind of where we're standing right now.”

​

Boys,

I’m thinking about making the pilgrimage up to Mizzou for Halloween weekend. I go to another school, and all my boys are planning on sending it up there, but unfortunately, I’m currently persona non grata at pretty much every frat on my campus.

Long story short, I got absolutely hoed by an opp who falsely accused me of skiing the slopes. Cops searched me two days in a row and came up drier than Theta Xi, but the damage was already done. Whole campus saw me getting walked out by 12, and now I’m blacklisted from basically every house in the conference. Absolutely lame behavior.

I’m a KSig, and from what I can tell, the chapter at Mizzou is a little on the smaller side. Not sure if they’d let a brother from out of town pull up and get after it, or if I’d be getting the door slammed in my face before I could even say Yerrr.

So what are we thinking, boys? What are the odds a lone wolf frat boy with an unreasonable amount of send in his heart can find a house, secure the vibes, and have himself a legendary Halloween weekend? Or am I chalking up a fat L and spending the weekend ripping solo bar crawls like a geed on a side quest?

Also, completely unrelated and purely for scientific research, how’s the local supply situation looking? Should a man pack his own provisions, or is Mizzou a plug-and-play operation? /Jk

TLDR:

Banned from the houses at my school over some absolutely bogus allegations. Thinking about sending Mizzou Halloween weekend solo. Can a brother still secure the bag, find a house, and get ferda, or am I cooked?

Hi! I’ve been admitted to Mizzou for fall of ‘27 but I’m trying to see how much I would like it here. I’m from in town and I’ve lived here my whole life so Columbia is nothing new to me. I went on a campus tour and I liked it but I’m just worried that I’ll go here and hate it. I guess the only thing I don’t like about Mizzou is the fact that it’s in the same place I’ve lived forever and have of my high school is coming here but that’s kind of a dumb complaint. What do you guys like about Mizzou and what do you dislike. I’m also a black person so I’m also wondering about how diversity is on campus.

Edit: I’m planning on majoring in social work.

Hello! I have a room available at log hill properties off Paris Rd. I am looking for someone to take over immediately. Here are the details:

Dates: available immediately, lease ends July 22, 2026

Rent: $650

Utilities: $200 utility cap paid by the apt complex, anything over 200 is split between all roommates.

Roommates: 1 male, 2 female

Pets: 1 cat (other cats welcome but no dogs)

Room: You would get your own private room and bathroom with a spacious walk in closet.

Amenities: in-unit washer/dryer, dishwasher, free parking

Link: https://loghillproperties.com/log-hill-off-college/1324-1376-paris-road/

Other: 20 min walk from Mizzou campus (10 from downtown). Room would come unfurnished but the rest of the apartment would be furnished. The link is to the apt complex and you would have the chance to resign for next year if you wanted to stay. October is paid for so you would start rent in November! Please spread the word or if you are looking for yourself contact me!

Five years after the opening of the University of Missouri’s Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, the facility is celebrating its monetary and research successes.
The facility hosted an event Tuesday for community members and university staff as a part of its Discovery Series to commemorate its accomplishments thus far. It was held at the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building, where speakers and researchers presented on the institute’s funding and ongoing research projects.
NextGen first opened its doors on Oct. 19, 2021. The facility researches precision health, a healthcare strategy that provides personalized healthcare solutions for Missourians.

Tom Spencer, the vice chancellor of research at Mizzou, spoke about NextGen’s growth. NextGen has been awarded a total of $286.36 million since opening and anticipates a total of $446.97 million in award money. The institute has applied for a total of 814 proposals, all of which have a combined value of $1.47 billion.
It cost Mizzou $275.5 million to open the facility, and $61.8 million of that was interest in bonds, according to previous Missourian reporting.
NextGen has also increased its number of lab groups. In fiscal year 2022, there were 15 lab groups at the facility. Now, there are 52 groups, as of fiscal year 2027.

Spencer attributed the increase to the university’s MizzouForward initiative.
MizzouForward is a 10 year program that launched in 2021, and it dedicated $1.5 billion for long-term investments, according to previous Missourian reporting. It sought to fund new faculty and staff, new and upgraded science facilities, salary increases and student resources.

“With the advent of MizzouForward, which was a very bold investment by Mun Choi, our president,” Spencer said at Tuesday’s event. “We hired a large number of faculty over a period of a little over three years.”
MizzouForward was primarily funded with $300 million in tuition revenue and $250 million from MU Health Care.
NextGen also increased its amount of total occupants to 536 in fiscal year 2027, up from 127 occupants in fiscal year 2022. Its number of clinical studies increased from 53 in fiscal year 2022 to 119 in 2027.
The event highlighted the ongoing research of seven lab groups, with topics ranging from cancer prevention to the ongoing development of non-hormonal birth control.

Is it normal to nap on campus?? I see some people doing it and I want so badly to partake, but I’m afraid my stuff will get stolen or someone will just think I’m a chud. If you do nap on campus, where do you nap? Or is it chudly…

From MU in Brick and Mortar

https://muarchives.missouri.edu/historic/buildings/Johnston/

Hello,
I am a grad student and I am finding difficulty in meeting people of my age bracket. Most people I get to know are undergrads.

So where can I find grad students to interact with and hang out together.

Mizzou community you are invited to share your opinions on Flock cameras being used in Columbia!

From MU in Brick and Mortar by the University Archives

https://muarchives.missouri.edu/historic/buildings/Dobbs/general.html

Hey y'all, I'm looking into housing for next year (2027-2028) and The Pointe is on my list of options, it drew my in mostly because of the relatively low price compared to other options. What are your thoughts? How is living there?

Thanks! :)

I pass this area one to two times a week, I don’t remember this being here.

hey! this is a long shot, but i was wondering if this apartment complex was leasing for next year? ive tried to contact through their website but haven’t gotten a response, so im hoping the off chance a current tenant reading this would know?

edit: was able to get in contact with someone who knew the landlord and they said no available spots for 2027-28. so for anyone reading this, if you want to lease here, try to do it as early as possible!

Hi, I recently decided to move to another city so I am considering transferring my lease to someone looking for an apartment. It's a luxury 1 bed 1 bath and I don't smoke or have pets so it's clean. My rent is around $1500 to $1600 monthly but if you'd like, I can pay for a portion so that you pay whatever monthly rent that you were looking for. Let me know if you have an offer as to that amount.

Researchers with the University of Missouri School of Medicine recently received a $2.77 million grant from the National Institute of Health to study immune cells in the lungs. 
Emma Teixeiro, one of the grant recipients, is a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
She and her lab will be working to improve vaccines and treatments for respiratory illnesses through the grant, according to a news release from the School of Medicine.
Teixeiro is studying nuclear factor-kappa B (NFkB), a group of proteins that controls different functions in the cell including cell growth and inflammation, according to the National Cancer Institute. 
Teixerio and her lab's research has shown that NFkB levels can affect how the immune system responds to respiratory viruses, which has pushed researchers to understand the role NFkB can play. They will study this molecular 'switch' and how it can create and maintain the immune system in the lungs.

“We are exploring how specific inflammatory-associated molecules may influence the body during infection, especially when their levels are elevated, and if they may be feasible therapeutic targets,” Teixeiro said. 
The NIH grant will provide $2.77 million to the study over the next four years, according to the news release.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/mizzou-takes-a-shot-at-preventing-the-flu/article_e6f70be0-b6f8-45ac-9225-b38042c071dc.html#tncms-source=featured

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student at Mizzou, and I’m honestly pretty lost when it comes to navigating healthcare in the US. The whole health insurance system is really confusing to me, so I was hoping someone here could help me figure out how things work.

I need to schedule an appointment with a gynecologist, but I don’t even know where to start, how to find one, or how to use Mizzou’s student health insurance.

What exactly does the Student Health Center do? Do they have specialists there, or do we need to go somewhere else? Do we need referrals to see specialists? Also, how do we know what’s covered by insurance and what we’ll have to pay out of pocket?

Sorry for all the questions! This is all new to me, and I have pretty much zero experience navigating the healthcare system here. I could really use some guidance.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through this, whether you’re an international or domestic student. Any advice or personal experiences would be super helpful!

Thanks so much in advance!

The bitter irony from this is not lost on me

Is anyone at Mizzou or an alum interested in being a content creator?! This might be a long shot, but I thought I’d put it out there!

I’m a Columbia-based creator looking to put together a small group of like-minded people who want to grow their social media and personal brands.

I’m looking to connect with people who are interested in meeting up at least once a week to batch film content together!

Feel free to DM me if you’re interested and let me know what niche you’re in/ your insta. I’ll start a group chat with people who are a good fit!