Monday, March 21, 2005

The Army Corps of Engineers and Lake of the Ozarks

The Lake of the Ozarks is NOT controlled by the The Army Corps of Engineers but by Ameren Missouri.

The Corps remains somewhat relevant to the management and operation of the lake through a "Memorandum of Agreement" (MOA) that exists between Ameren and the Corps of Engineers in coordinating operations with Truman Dam, which is managed by the Corps. As part of the overall river system, Ameren and the ACoE are required by license to reduce erosion and flooding along the lower Osage River and establish "ramp-down" rates after high flow conditions. This means that Ameren must coordinate water management with the Corps in regards to its role in overall flood control strategy for the entire watershed.

The Corps is also responsible for all mile marker assignments along the main channel, a holdover from its days as a navigable river.

More importantly, any projects involving any of the following will require Corps approval. These summaries are taken from Ameren's permit page. The accompanying link should be followed up for more rigorous review.
  • Any activity located lakeward of elevation 658.5ft, affecting a wetland or a rare, threatened, or endangered species (requires review by the Missouri Department of Conservation as well).
  • Placement of heat exchange coils for heat pumps (in conjunction with Ameren approval).
  • Breakwater construction (requires Missouri State Water Patrol approval as well).
  • Construction of seawalls below 658.5ft (allowed only in well documented cases of extreme erosion).
The complete permit documentation for these and other related activities are provided at Ameren's website.

or

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Truman Satellite Office
Attn: CENWK-OD-RM-HT
Route 2, Box 29C
Warsaw, MO 65355

660.438.6697
660.438.6909 fax

Friday, March 18, 2005

The Lake of the Ozarks is NOT a Corps Lake

There are folks who still think the Army Corps of Engineers is in charge of the Lake of the Ozarks. There was a time when the Corps had operational control, but Ameren UE is fully in charge of things now.

Update: Contained within the 2007 license renewal with FERC is language regarding a "Memorandum of Agreement" (MOA) that exists between Ameren UE and the Corps of Engineers in regards to coordinating operations with Truman Dam (which is managed by the Corps) to reduce erosion and flooding along the lower Osage River and establish "ramp-down" rates after high flow conditions. There is also a MOA with the Missouri Department of Conservation allowing for the reduction of minimum outflow below the established minimum to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the river.  According to the license these non-normal conditions account for 6% of Bagnell Dams yearly operational status.

From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District website FAQ section:

"Lake Visitor: Why does Truman Lake hold water when the Lake of the Ozarks is low?
Ranger: This may sound like a complicated answer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages Truman Lake and flood control is its primary mission. Often people think that the two lakes are operated by the same agency. They are not. AMEREN UE, a private enterprise that generates electricity for profit, manages the Lake of the Ozarks (LOZ). AMEREN UE may generate power and reduce the lake levels while the Corps of Engineers is either maintaining a multipurpose pool level at Truman Lake or attempting to control flooding downstream.
When it comes to flood control, Truman Lake is just one piece in a very large puzzle that includes 5 other flood control projects in the Osage River drainage basin. The other projects are Pomme de Terre Lake (Pomme de Terre River), Stockton Lake (Sac River), Hillsdale Lake in Kansas, Pomona Lake in Kansas, and Melvern Lake in Kansas. The Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, manages all these lake projects. There are 18 flood control lakes in the Kansas City District helping to control potential floods on small rivers, the Missouri River, and the Mississippi River.
You can easily see Truman Lake is a very important piece to a very large flood control puzzle. With a quick look downstream from Truman Dam people can see a very dramatic difference between a flood control project and its neighbor operated by a private power generating corporation."

The complete FAQ can be found at:

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/harryst/faq.htm - link no longer works.