LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Following another bout of heavy rainfall, Ameren opened the Bagnell Dam floodgates wider on Wednesday evening, in an effort to keep the Lake of the Ozarks from rising to dangerous levels.
A week ago, five inches of rain overnight led to the Lake topping a water level elevation of 662.55 feet—two and a half feet above full pool. Now, after a four-hour period on July 8 saw two inches of rainfall on a very saturated Lake of the Ozarks drainage area, Ameren has opened the floodgates from 10 percent to 25 percent. That increased flow to more than 56,000 cubic feet per second. Without the floodgates operating, the dam is capable of allowing 40,000 cfs. The floodgates have been open at varying levels since Ameren first opened them on July 1. The increased flow began around 6:30 p.m.
With the floodgates open to this level, the Osage River has gone up by about two feet.
Ameren has also communicated with the Army Corps of Engineers, and water flow through Truman Dam has been temporarily shut off. Until that point, Truman Dam’s floodgates had been open, to relieve high water levels at Truman Lake, which had risen more than 14 feet above its full pool level.
As of 9 p.m. on July 8, Ameren reported the Lake of the Ozarks water level was at 659.75, and rising slightly. Full pool is 660 feet.
