Driving DirectionsNorth of St. Joseph, from Interstate 229 take Route K north 1 mile, then take Gravel Road 396 west 3 miles. HighlightsThe area is primarily forest and old fields. Facilities/features: primitive camping and permanent stream (Missouri River). About This AreaWorthwine Island Conservation Area is in Andrew County, southwest of Amazonia.  The Conservation Department purchased 28 acres along the Missouri River in 1989. Additional purchases have brought the area to its present 584 acres.The property was acquired in order to preserve unique wetlands and habitats associated with the Missouri River and to provide public lands and recreational opportunities in northwest Missouri. The area was an island before the U.S. Corps of Engineers channelized the Missouri River.Early exploration and settlement of this area began with the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804. Journal entries from that expedition mentioned an abundance of wildlife along the broad marshlands of the heavy bottomland timber near the Missouri River.This area was part of the Platte Purchase, arranged by the U.S. government with the Indians in 1836.In 2007 one of the main chutes on the area was restored by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.  The chute restoration recreated the island portion of the area and off-channel aquatic habitat nearly absent in the river's current conditions.This area is managed for a wide range of game and non-game wildlife species and is available to the public for a variety of outdoor activities. Management of the area consists of restoring bottomland hardwoods through tree planting, allowing natural revegetation and developing wetland habitat.