Reducing Outflow

[MOPanfisher]

Hve been reducing outflow most of the morning. This morning we were at 2500 CFS, at 1:00 p.m. will make final drop to 100 CFS. Lake will stabilize so somebody please go get me some good reports. My boat is dry rotting and my fishing gear hates me.

[shockley32]

MOPanfisher,

Have a question and hope you can help. As of 9:00 this morning the lake was 841.28 or 2.28' high. It seems like every time the lake rises and they let out water they put the stops on outflow at approximately 2' high, and then slowly bring it down over the course of several days, even weeks. Why is that?

With the lake being 50+ years old most standing timber has broken off at normal pool. It seems to me with a holiday weekend coming up (Labor Day), or any time, that 1-2' above normal pool is dangerous for boaters. I often see people skiing, tubing, playing, etc.. right over the top of Haverstick and other places full of standing timber. Often I hear and see lower units destroyed and holes in boats. I usually tell whoever is with me, "If they knew what was just below the surface they wouldn't be there." It is the responsibility of the boaters/fisherman to know where they are and what they are doing, however due to ignorance or compliancy many problems arise.

I understand a lot goes into the decisions for pulling water/keeping it at a certain level. Which I love the last several years keeping it 3-5' high for the spawn, etc... I know there is no perfect solution however would like to see it closer to normal pool before they shut the water down to a trickle. Thanks for the great job you and the crew do with our lake and thank you for all your input on the board! Interested in your comments.

Thanks!

Brad

[MOPanfisher]

There are a couple of different things at work here. We try to bring the lake back down quickly until we get within a foot or two of conservation pool or the established "normal" for that time period. As we get close generally it gets slowed down to a more gentle drop. This time we also have a request which we granted from the Missouri State Highway Patrol to hold another swift water rescue training class in the outlet, to do that they need about 2000 CFS for 3-4 days or roughly 1.5 - 2.0 feet of lake water so we are holding some water for that. Normally this time of year rain, and especially run off rain is rare to non-existent so expecting additional water to inflow is not reliable. In the spring during any of the various spawns we try to draw the lake down fairly quickly so that any fish that are thinking about spawning will pull back, then as it nears the target elevation, we slow it down so that while still lowering the lake toward that magic target it does so slowly, giving the fish time to spawn, eggs to hatch, and the fry to move into the cover of the flooded brush/grass/weeds. Obviously it is not a perfect science.

Seems that after the big rains/floods there is more interest from counties and cities to have some folks capable of operating in a swift water rescue situation and the MSHP is the go to place for it. In the 20 plus years I've been at Pomme I couldn't even begin to count the number of boaters I have seen skiing tubing jet skiing in places like haverstick, or cooper cove knowing what is just below them I marvel that more don't crash. No matter the lake level there will be some hazards, haven't figured out a way around that yet. In years to come I expect to see more rapid rises at all times of the year, I don't believe global warming will turn us into a desert, I believe the extra water vapor in the atmosphere will provide extra energy which will trigger worse torrential rainstorms, very heavy and maybe stalling out in certain areas to produce staggering amounts of rain in a short time, but I am not metereologist, weather person and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so take that prediction for what it is worse.

[Sac River Jim]

when is the highway patrol planning the training exercise. i will be up at bolivar landing on saturday so can i expect the lake lvl to be stable or will you be pulling water for the exercise taking in consideration the weather pattern stays dry this coming week.

[shockley32]

Thanks for the great info - you guys are great!

Brad

[MOPanfisher]

I believe the training is in September, so the lake should be pretty stable. The MSHP tries to do at least 2 trainings a year spring and fall, depending upon availability of outflow increases, sometimes they have to cancel it because we simply don't have the water to spare, was headed that way this year until the first week of august. And even though its MSHP that puts on the training there are students from MDC, counties, cities, and various other agencies including a couple from the COE ( NOT ME THANK YOU VERY MUCH). I would happily do the boating part, but the concept of donning a wet suit, flippers, crash helmet, and a life vest then jumping into the stilling basing at 2000 CFS then swimming to a few points and finally walking back to do it all over again, well I'll leave it to the younger and tougher guys than me.

[alexfromop]

Afternoon all,
My family just bought a house down there on the Haverstick branch and we go south from the ramp at Mill Creek Cove on the Haverstick side to tube. Judging from the Sportsman Connection maps, there doesn't seem to be too much timber in that section, but I was wondering if anyone with a bit more experience could confirm that?

Thanks!

Alex

[shockley32]

From there south you don't have much to worry about. Just stay away from the far east side and you'll be fine.

Brad