OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – Boaters, swimmers, and lakefront homeowners share the Lake of the Ozarks in common, and because of that, dock owners are subject to rules and—if they break the rules—the possible loss of their unmaintained property.
Ameren Missouri is in charge of shoreline management at Lake of the Ozarks; the company emphasizes it is the responsibility of dock owners to maintain their property. An ongoing case at the Lake illustrates Ameren’s authority in this area.
Public concern was recently raised about a dock that has fallen in disrepair near the 2 Mile Marker of the Glaize Arm, owned by Mike’s Resort, at 440 Passover Road.
Jeff Green, Ameren’s shoreline management supervisor, said his company is working with the dock owners there to get it up to snuff.
“Ameren works with them to make sure that the dock is kept in good condition and they are not in good condition, so they need to clean that up,” said Green, who stressed the importance of land owners to maintain their docks. “The word we are getting is they’re going to be making some progress soon.”
Green said Ameren Missouri typically gives property owners 30 days to correct any dock issues.
“We’ve had issues in the past with this particular property so we are interested in them getting it cleaned up as soon as possible,” Green said. “[Our goal is] to work with that property owner and get that situation taken care of.”
But this dock’s clock is ticking. Green says Ameren has set a deadline for the owner to fix the dock or have it removed.
Recently, the dock has had broken walkways and sections of walkway that have broken apart that were cobbled and cabled together, which causes a significant concern because the pieces could break free, according to Green.
Because of a report to Ameren Missouri that power to the dock was flickering, Osage Beach Fire District Fire Marshal Ed Nicholson said power to the dock was turned off, on June 20.
Issues continue to arise.
“They have had a dock collapse in the last couple of weeks, which has drawn our attention,” Green said. “We are working with the property owner. This is a significant concern for us and it should be for the owner, as well.”
LakeExpo.com left messages on an answering machine at Mike’s Resort, but no one could be reached for comment.
Taking A Hard Line
Green said the report of a derelict dock happens periodically.
“We deal with a handful of these structures every year,” he said. “We work with other state agencies—Missouri State Highway Patrol, Water Patrol Division—and they let us know if something has become derelict and needs to be secured. We take land owner and neighbor complaints.
“We also are out every day on the shoreline, observing and working on compliance issues. Some are pretty obvious and others aren’t so obvious, but we take a pretty hard line on derelict docks. They can impact not only adjacent property owners, but the public.”
In addition, if landowners do not comply with repairing their docks, Ameren has several options to correct the problem for the public, including removing the derelict dock itself and charging the land owner, or future land owner, for the cost of the removal of the derelict dock. Enforcement fees are another option.
View Ameren's website and permitting forms for the Lake of the Ozarks
“Each one is reviewed on a case-by-case basis,” Green said. “Ameren can take action to have derelict items and safety hazards removed and then leverage that against all future permits for that property. That means anybody who would buy that property or want to develop that property in the future would have to pay the cleanup bill and any enforcement fees.”
Green also warned that there are liability issues for owners with derelict docks.
“If the dock owner is aware of a problem or been given notice and something breaks free, and someone gets hurt, there could be a significant liability for that dock owner.”
To report a suspected derelict dock or any other water related navigational hazard, call Ameren Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks protection hotline at 573-365-9203.
