Floodgates Open, As Lake Of The Ozarks Rises Above 660 Feet

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — The Lake of the Ozarks' water level began to rise quickly, as a massive rain event dumped inch after inch of rain across the region, causing flash flood conditions on Sunday morning.

Bagnell Dam operators — who are pressed to always keep the Lake level below 660 feet of elevation, which is considered "full pool" — had no choice but to open the floodgates.

An Ameren spokesperson on Sunday reported the company was running 30,000 cubic feet per second of water through the dam's turbines, and would be running anything beyond that through the floodgates (aka "spillgates.")

According to Ameren's hourly reporting system, the flow through the dam rose above 30,000 cfs at around 11 a.m. By 10 p.m., Ameren was still running about 34,000 cfs.

Normally, Ameren is able to pass approximately 40,000 cfs through the dam's turbines — allowing the company to produce electricity from the water passing through. But two of the dam's eight turbines are currently out of commission, as they are being replaced.

Dam operators were able to stem the tide, but the Lake still briefly rose above 660 feet of elevation — considered the "full pool" standard. Between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. the Lake was slightly above 660, before dropping down to 659.98 around 8 p.m.

The spokesperson said they would be targeting a level of 659.5 over the next couple of days.