2016 Safety Report available

In years past I've titled this annual report for the year of reporting but I've decided to change that going forward.  Although this post is done in 2016, it is actually for data and events occurring in 2015.  Obviously we cannot produce a report for this year, until the year is over.

How Safe Is the Lake of the Ozarks?

Looking at what has already happened at the Lake in 2016, let's hope the public fairs better safety wise in the coming summer months.

Be courteous. Be safe. Enjoy!

Mountain Lions at the Lake?

It's no secret that Mountain Lions (aka cougar or puma) are returning to Missouri. Since 1994 the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has had a task force in place to investigate all big cat sightings.  To date, there have been sixty confirmed sightings of the mountain lions in Missouri, mostly in the southern half of the state.  The most recent was in February of 2016 in Shannon county where sightings of cougars, along with black bear, have become common around the Current and Jacks Fork rivers.

In an earlier sighting in January, an automated game camera took a picture of a cougar in a county that hits a little closer to home, Henry county.  Henry county is one of the counties that includes parts of Truman Lake.  This cougar was apparently photographed near the Henry-St.Clair county border very close to the lake itself. (April 2016 Update - the carcass of a mountain lion was discovered along the shoreline of Truman Lake about 10 miles southeast from this sighting and very likely the same animal).

January 2016 Sighting

A less recent but even more relevant sighting in October of 2015, again confirmed by MDC, occurred in Miller county, along the Osage river.  This cat is well within range of the Lake of the Ozarks and more importantly Missouri's largest state park, but if the map provided by MDC is accurate the cougar is on the wrong side of the river to make it easily to the lake area. In order to reach the lake it has only two paths. The first assumes it survives crossing Hwy 54 to make it to the north side of the lake around the Gravois arm. While there is some habitat in that area, I do not think the animal would find it desirable to stay. What would be a desirable location is the Lake of the Ozarks State Park, but in order to reach this area, it would have to cross the Osage River at some point. I've kayaked down the Osage River from Bagnell Dam all the way to St.Thomas and can say that crossing the river, especially when it is low is possible in many locations. Besides, I think they can swim.

October 2015 Sighting

Prior to these two sighting the nearest sighting was in Pulaski county in the Summer of 2013.

While it's apparent mountain lions are returning to the area I don't believe there is cause for concern. There is plenty of game to keep them satisfied in the areas they have been spotted and the lake itself is active enough to discourage any large predator from sticking around. Having said that, I assure you that the next time I'm camping in southeast missouri I won't just be keeping an eye out for bear.

Lake of the Ozarks Voted the Best Recreational Lake in the Nation for 2016!

The results are in and, although it was close, the Lake of the Ozarks has won USA Today's top spot in their 10 Best list of Recreational Lakes for 2016.

The top 10 winners in the category Best Recreational Lake are as follows:

1. Lake of the Ozarks
2. Big Bear Lake
3. West Okoboji Lake
4. Lake Cumberland
5. Lake Tahoe
6. Lake Havasu
7. Lake Michigan
8. Lake Coeur d'Alene
9. Flathead Lake
10. Lake Powell

Champagne for everyone!

April 5th 2016 Municipal Elections Results

I won't go over the details, but here's the Camden County official results for Tuesday's elections.

Election results pdf

March 2016 Lake Levels and Discharge

A deep drawdown for the lake in March sees a return to average levels by month's end.  This drawdown did a lot to improve the clarity of the water after December's flooding.  I expect levels to remain around 656' or so until early May.

The low of 652.86' on March 9 will likely be the lowest level of the year.

Low Water Pic

Having fun with a new phone filter.  Yeah, up on dry land is not a good look for a dock.

2016 Primary Election Results for Camden County

This data is from the Missouri Secretary of State's office.  You can go see the results for any county in Missouri here.

For Camden County though, here are the results for the six (five now) remaining candidates. Total votes cast in Camden County were 12,815, and the results are in order of most votes.  While Missouri is an open primary state voters can only vote once, and for only one party of choice.

Democrats: Out of 2841 total ballots
Bernie Sanders: 1419, or 49.947%
Hillary Clinton: 1388, or 48.856%

Bernie wins by the slimmest of margins, 31 votes.

For the Republicans it was very close between Senator Cruz and Donald Trump overall in the state, but not in Camden county where Trump won by nearly twenty five points!

Republicans: Out of 9961 total ballots
Donald Trump: 5467, or 54.844%
Ted Cruz:          2985, or 29.967%
John Kasich:     846, or 8.493%
Marco Rubio:   473, or 4.749% (campaign now suspended)

As we can see from the numbers, over 3 times the number of our Republican neighbors voted compared to Democrats. I'm of the opinion that most Democrats stayed home as either candidate works for them really.

With a 2014 U.S. Census estimated population of 44,021, and 77% of that number of voting age, means there should be about 34,000 eligible voters.  A turnout of 12,815 represents a participation rate of 29.1%.

Putting it another way, every person that voted just made the choice for two others as well. While primaries are only the political party nominee process, in our two-party system it is easily the vote that has the most impact.  Once the process comes down to just two candidates for the general election, things are reduced to a simple popularity contest.

Vote. Democracy is a participation sport.