MOPanfisher

Ben, I would suspect it had more to do with the fact that it was an unusual request and no body truly knew the answer or exactly what hoops you would have to jump through. In my mind I see the exchange, explanation of what you want to do, with a resins of, that's a cool idea. Awesome what sort of permit do I need? Hmm I have no idea. If it isn't addressed in one of the many plans, programs, or manuals then someone has to decide if it is even within their purview and if so exactly which purview (real estate, regulatory, operations etc.) And then run it by that division to see what hoops might be involved. In the end you stuck it out and came out with a really cool information system that I can guarantee some of the folks in the COE check regularly. I am guessing in the end you had to go through the MSHP since it is a buoy based system, otherwise I doubt the COE would give it a moments worry unless you wanted to use on of their buoys, in which case they would probably want you to take over the maintenence of that buoy. Unless it is a commercial operation where you charge for the information, then it becomes a completely different game.

Daryk, I wish I could like that comment more than once. If we only things we accomplish is a small gesture and not making things worse great. If we can install into our kids the importance of Natural Resources then the future is looking better and better.

Um, no. Even at the worst, most cynical outlook it would only be relocating the pollution not polluting more. Tires while they do provide some aquatic habitat also leach various chemical in the water, using your reasoning we should dump more tires and even better old stoves, refrigerators etc. into the streams. Think I will stick with Harris and (gasp) Smalliebiggs. on their version.

According to the weather peeps, opening day of dove season should be beautiful, front moves through wednesday, bringing cooler drier air and clear skies on thursday. I am looking forward to it, had to miss last year due to medical reasons and while not even close to tuned up shooting g wiae, I have plenty of shells. Now bring on the doves.

Usually there is a group or agency around that can be talked into springing for a dumpster for clean ups like that. Sometimes even the trash company will supply one, especially if allowed to plaster their name around that they are helping. Even a big 40 yard construction dumpster, with the delivery charge and $ per ton tipping fee likely around 600 to 700 depending upon weight, which is a lot for a stream team but not if you get a company or two to kick in. Just a thought, some places it works and some places it doesn't.

I admit to kind of liking snakes, for some reason I really like that sharp edge on their heads, reminds me somehow of a Marine DI, attitude and all.

Wow, sideways photo or not that's a heck of a fish.

Again that is in line with what the MSHP I doing all over. The COE is falling in line. As if they had any real choice in the matter. If the MSHP, as the agency that permits and enforces the law and wants to change it then what are you going to do, except express disagreement. As for TR it will eventually go the same way as LOZ, whatever ends up happening there with NWIS buoys and no wake zones. Most definitely make your thoughts, comments and feelings know to the MSHP in Jeff City, even better if it were to come from an organized group of Marina Owners etc. As a boater I see in smaller waters that often boaters simply ignore buoys, signs, and common courtesy where wakes are concerned. I wish I had an answer that would work, some sort of magic formula I could pour into the water supply and suddenly everyone would think about the effect a boat wake has on other boats, docks shoreline etc. I know the COE does some odd things (trust me I have seen it up close) but this one is coming down from the state level, in fact I believe that the MSHP would love to be completely out of the buoy permit business except for enforcement, similar to MOOT establishing speed limits on roads and then MSHP doing the enforcement. The buoy program was inherited with the merger of the old Water Patrol and MSHP sees it as a detracting from their main purpose of enforcement, but that is a topic for cold beer, hot coffee or mediocre fishing.

I doubt that even if there were a congressman or three pushing the construction of a dam that it would even happen. The laundry list of items to simply get started would be huge. The cost would be phenomenal and the end result would be many many years out. The COE takes it marching orders on dam building from Congress. Congress would have to authorize, and then fund any such construction. Even in the "good old days" there were often many years between authorization and funding for the big flood control projects. There is much more awareness and appreciation for natural systems and how they work than in the past, I am only 50 and if the push was started now, with a lot of support I doubt I could live long enough to see a dam built. There is probably a better chance of winning the lottery. HOWEVER I would like to see a more concerted effort to purchase low lying, flood prone land, maybe not everything that can ever flood, but say up to a 50 or 100 year flood level. Would create a riparian corridor, and filter zone, allow flood water to spread out reducing the effects of a sudden flood, create many thousands of additional acres for wildlife habitat, and public use. Turn those flood prone areas in to river/greenways.

I don't know that I can give you a good answer. I took a quick read through TVA's site information, they have a bunch of electrical generating capability. 8 fossil plants (41 active units) 3 nuclear plants (six units) 29 hydro plants (109 units) 1 pumped storage hydroelectric plant (four units) 9 natural gas combustion-turbine plants (87 units) 7 natural gas combined-cycle plants (11 units) 1 diesel-generator site (five units) 14 solar energy sites 1 wind-energy site \ SWPA appears to be more hydro-based. it may be that with a "bigger tool box" that TVA is able to schedule it better as it spreads is out over multiple sources. I honestly don't know. I agree that SWPA generation schedules are only a "guesstimate" at best, and often anything over 24hrs out is highly succeptible to change.

I know I have discussed this before, but there is always a trade off. If you want the lake to be a pure flood control lake, expect extreme low water levels, drawn down to 900 or less every year, to provide more room to store flood waters, if you want to have it strictly for recreation, then all the water will quickly get passed through to hold it at "normal", and forget about useful hydro-electric generation, if you want primarily hydro generation, then expect more extended high water periods for the water to be held so it can be generated with. Each group has their own biases. Recreation wants it stable, Hydro folks want lots of water to generate with, flood control folks are not concerned with recreation just the storage of flood waters. Hydro-electric generation is worth Billions of dollars to SWPA, there is a value paid simply to have the generators available (not broken down or awaiting repair), in case they need electricity, when one is broken down there is a big push to get back on line. SWPA has also in the last several years been willing to drop a lot of money into major maintenance and repair items on the hydro dams, in essence funding things that would take years to get through congress and the federal budgeting system, simply so they can have the ability to produce electricity. In my oddball opinion the next 20 years will be a roller coaster ride on lake levels, whether you want to blame it on Global Warming, or Republicans, or Muslims, storms seem to be getting stronger and dropping more and more precipitation into small areas, creating a massive flood situation. In areas like the White River system, it can handle one or maybe even 2 large events, but when you start chaining them together over the course of a year, and the Mississippi is also flooded, limiting what can be released further downstream it becomes a balancing act to try to hold it until it can be released. Couple that with extended periods of no rain, and an ever increasing demand for clean cheap electricity on demand (read that as hydro-electric generation), and the competing interests are going to go at it like wolves on a fresh kill. And all that is NOTHING but my own opinion.

FWIW, the COE is not driving the boat (no pun intended) on the reduction/removal of No Wake Idle Speed buoys on the lakes. It is the MSHP that is responsible for the requests, authorization, and inspections of those buoys. What I could glean from the one paragraph was that the MSHP wants to reduce the number of buoys, and wants the COE to require dock owners to put up a sign on their docks instead. Similar to the 911 Address signs from a few years ago, some COE lakes went along and required the 911 signs as part of the permit, others didn't, I am unaware of any enforcement of the 911 dock address signs on the lakes. I suspect that some of the recent issues with large wakes, especially at LOZ will cause some re-consideration of the entire No Wake areas and while I suspect the MSHP will continue to go away from buoys everywhere, there will likely be some areas that become NWIS, don't know how that will work out.

I don't believe there is a "winter drawdown" as such. If memory serves, SWPA has a range of lake level something like 922 to 898, where basically it is their call to decide whether or not to generate with, above that level it is more flood control. of course there are various agreements for certain levels at certain times but overall its SWPA's job to turn that water into megawatts, and the megawatts into dollars. Whether its Beaver, TR, Bull Shoals, Stockton, Truman, or Mark Twain.

Well at least they can inspect it without getting their feet wet. I am gonna guess that the lights on that sign behind the boat were not working that night. Probably ought to sue them for that.

It's more about being consistent with the state law. I didn't even realize that the COE has anything to do with buoys on TR. The MSHP is the permit issuing authority and enforcement for violation. I have heard on LOZ for example the MSHP is becoming somewhat restrictive on issuing buoy permits. Don't know how the weekends incidents on LOZ will affect the policy.

None of the gauges I have looked at show anything more than a short duration low to moderate rise in the rivers. Don't know if the reported heavy rains were in such a small area that they didn't produce much runoff. I had about 1.5 inches Thursday night and it barely made a puddle. Had been dry and it was soaking in quickly.

I had heard that Eudora got a big rain, yep all that will run into Stockton.

I live north of bolivar about 15 miles, I am unaware of any big rain last night. There was a decent rain Thursday night. Pomme river came up according to the usgs gauge but certainly not a flood.

I would say it is a common milk snake. Lampropeltis triangulum or something close to that.

Thanks Al, not quite as good as sitting on the riverbank myself, but I could a most hear the owls calling, and the river gurgling.

Very very true. Used to be able to get a few on the creeks but anymore even hearing one is a treat. Even around home this year there were some early but by opening night not a one.

Silly Chief, the tater goes into the foil. Although now that you mention it, might have some frog legs slowly steaming in the foil.

Many years ago I found something that goes perfectly with a baked potato. Medium rare steak, preferable grilled over the coals of a campfire with an ozark stream full of gogglers and smallmouth nearby. While not a big fan of them, take a big one, stab it full of holes, wrap it in foil and put it in the edge of the coals, turning is as you relax, mighty fine, even if somewhat charcoaled on the outside and al-dente' in the middle. Throw in some whippotwill and cicadas and live the good life. Sorry guys just having some withdrawals from such activities.

I am going pure bachelor tonight. Pre cooked cod fillets made to bake in oven (currently heating the the microwave), boxed potatoes designed to bake in the oven (currently in a saucepan on the stove with a litthe extra seasoning and a chunk of velveta), and a bag of coleslaw mix, soaking in the fallback coleslaw mixture of vinegar sugar and milk. Heck it's smelling good right now.

That's what happens when you drink that fancy whiskey.