LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Central Missouri is soggy after two nights of heavy rains that came on the heels of a wet June. But despite rumors swirling around social media, the Lake of the Ozarks is open, and will be open for the July 4th weekend.
The National Weather Service is calling for rain on Thursday, but expects skies to clear by the weekend, with perfect weather on July 4th -- mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid-80s.
Twenty-nine years ago, in the summer of 1986, the lake did actually close to all boat traffic for a while; Green confirmed that will not be the case this year.
Ameren Missouri’s Shoreline Management Director Jeff Green responded to those rumors: “It won’t be closed,” but, he added, some parts of the Lake could be limited to idle speed until the water level goes down. Wednesday night, Ameren opened floodgates even further, allowing 70,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water through the dam. Without the floodgates, the dam’s turbines only allow 40,000 cfs at full capacity.
As of Thursday at 12:15 p.m., Ameren reported the Lake had crested, and by 12:30, the dam was running 85,000 cfs, with the Osage River expected to rise by an additional foot. Property owners downriver were encouraged to take measures to protect their personal property, but Ameren did not expect to open the floodgates any further, as the Lake crested at 11 a.m., at 662.55 feet.
Currently, the Missouri State Highway Patrol is encouraging boaters to operate only at no-wake/idle speed for now. Boat wakes can cause significant damage to docks and property with the current high lake level.
The patrol expects to make a decision later today about any expanded mandatory no-wake zones.
So vacationers need not fret: Ameren has opened the dam’s floodgates, amid rising lake levels, and Truman Dam has completely stopped releasing water temporarily. Those measures are expected to keep the water open for a traditionally busy—and economically vital—weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks.
However, the floodwaters have created two unique conditions for boaters and dock owners that they’ll need to be aware of:
1. Flooding has submerged some dock walkways, and as a result, electric cables not normally under water may be submerged. Dock owners must check their docks and shut off electricity as a precaution if impacted by floodwaters.
Swimmers should be especially careful swimming around docks if they are unsure about whether the dock’s electricity is on. Swimmers should avoid docks that have ramps under water.
If you feel current near a dock, do not swim toward the dock, swim away, and have someone in a boat pick you up, or find a spot preferably along the shoreline to climb out.
2. Flooding has created some debris floating in the lake. As Bagnell Dam lets more water out of the Lake, to bring it back to full pool, the receding water will pull additional debris off the shoreline. Boaters should be cautious and reconsider boating at night.
Pirates Point's dock walkway was under water on Thursday morning. The Marina and C-Store at the 35MM is still open.
