LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — As the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers swell from flooding in the upper Midwest, Bagnell Dam has been flowing at a (relative) trickle, but Ameren says they’ll be increasing generation this week.
“Ameren Missouri has been generating at the legally required minimum flow,” said Jenifer Hagen, from the company’s corporate offices. Ameren’s Bagnell Dam is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and dam operators also work with the Army Corps of Engineers. The dam has been generating at an average of 11,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is only about one-third of normal full generation, she said. Hagen explained the dam had been at a low flow in order to prevent any unnecessary water from pouring into the badly-flooded Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Bagnell Dam is part of the Osage River, which feeds into the Missouri River east of Jefferson City.
In their daily report, Bagnell Dam operators said there would be “moderate generation” on Wednesday and Thursday, as Lake of the Ozarks takes water from the upstream Truman Dam, which has been holding back water and is significantly above its normal full pool.
However, dam operators emphasized Bagnell Dam floodgates are not opening as part of the planned increase in flowthrough. And the Lake of the Ozarks’ level is expected to hover around 656 feet of elevation: four feet below full pool, but normal for this time of year, when Ameren lowers the water level in anticipation of spring rains.
“The situation is in a state of flux… we’ll work with the Corps and the river forecast folks to adjust accordingly.”
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