Cc Ramp

[straw hat]

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that when I went to CC to put out brushpiles that i went off the end of the ramp. Now that the corp is running water out of Stockton like crazy the lake is even lower than when I ran off the end of the ramp. Use caution, it looks like this low water is only going to get worse.

[SmallyWally]

Not a local, so what is going on with the lake level? Looks low now, are they working on the dam?

[charliehorsejigs]

Doesn't help when Springfield is getting a lot of their water from Stockton Lake either.

[straw hat]

SmallyWally, they normally drop the lake to 4' or so below powerpool for the winter BUT this year it was already that low before the fall hit due to the drought. They have been maintaining it around 5 to 6' below powerpool since Sept. As you have probably heard the Missouri and Mississippi have hit record low levels this winter. Barge traffic has been curtailed and they are only allowed to carry half a load in order to have enough clearance to not run aground. The corp has been letting some water out of the lakes in Nebraska, South Dakota, etc but those lakes are now running low SO the corp decided to run some water out of Stockton, Truman and some of he other lakes in our area. The lake has dropped nearly 1' in the last week and who knows how long it will continue. Also, like charliehorsejigs said they are running water daily to McDaniel Lake for use in Springfield as well. The water levels in Fellows and McDaniel fall below their minimum levels several months ago and they have been running water out of Stockton since. I think the corp needs to hold a rain dance or something...we need water bad!!!

[SmallyWally]

Thanks straw hat. My dad lives on Mark Twain lake and their talking about dropping it too and it is already 6 ft. below pp. Don't know how most people think, but to be draining lakes across the Mississippi and Missouri river ways does not make a whole lotta sense. I understand drinking/bathing/washing needs have to be addressed but it seems to me that the companies who decide to use OUR water ways to move their products are getting a whole lotta help from our marvelous government at the expense of the people. There are other ways to ship their products, cause if they can only do half loads on barges tells me that will increase the costs. They dump water from all these lakes and then in a matter of days the water levels in the rivers drop again. But hey.......it's the federal government, enough said.

[Walcrabass]

The problem is much deeper than just a lack of rain guys. Industry doesn't just use the river for transportation. The water is consumed in various ways too. ( Irrigationand other things.) One of the biggest "water losers" is the fact that we don't back up water anymore...like the old low water bridges. ( I DO REALIZE we have dams in lakes.)The water just shoots on down the creek and is gone during high rain periods. On the flip side normal rainfall may never reach a small branch, creek, or river because of terracing of fields, tilling, etc., not to mention how many more ponds/irrigation lakes we have now than 50 years ago. Just ask any old timer if the creek on the back 40 has as much water as in yesteryear.

I have never understood why we didn't plan for a "Multiple Dam System" where we would have a string of dams in succession to generate and generate and generate with the water before we let it go, and I don't mean from lake to lake.( I have read where there could be a nitrogen poisioning problem with the fish due to saturation from too much churning)

One thing I have always been curious about... if lakes are piping water to cities, like Springfield, and it is being processed for drinking water etc., then why do we dump it into another lake where evaporation and soaking into the ground take their toll. If we are truly concerned with getting the most use and the best conservation out of the water then why does it not go straight to a manmade, non seeping structure for processing. Don't tell me it is because of cost or I will ask how much water would be worth if we didn't have any.

Yours truly,

The Water Stirring,

Walcrabass

[SmallyWally]

Good points Walcrabass.