LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Bagnell Dam operators are closing the dam’s floodgates this afternoon, but they may have to reopen them next week.

Ameren Engineer Alan Sullivan announced on Thursday, May 4 that the floodgates would be closed around noon, reducing the total flow from 50,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 34,000 cfs. With clear skies in store for the first big boating weekend of the season at the Lake of the Ozarks, the floodgates are expected to stay shut until next week.

But controlling the Lake of the Ozarks level has meant major flooding at Truman Lake, which feeds into Lake of the Ozarks via Truman Dam. Sullivan pointed out Truman Dam has been completely shut since Saturday, as Bagnell Dam operators battled massive inflows of water from heavy rains. Lake of the Ozarks ended up 1.5 feet over its full pool level of 660, before the water began to recede, but Truman Lake is currently 18 feet over its normal level, measuring at 724 feet of elevation on Thursday morning. “The recent flooding was significantly reduced by storage of water in the Truman Reservoir,” Sullivan said.

Bagnell Dam operators were planning a conference call with the Army Corps of Engineers—which controls Truman Dam—on Thursday afternoon to coordinate the drawing down of Truman Lake next week. Sullivan said Bagnell Dam floodgates would likely reopen next week as a result, but flows are not expected to rise much past 50,000 cfs.

Sullivan ended his message by voicing what so many planning trip to the Lake are thinking: “Hopefully we can enjoy a sunny weekend.”

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