Lake Level

[Krazo]

When will Ameren start bringing up the lake level?  I know rain will help & Truman dumping water in will help.

Boat is stuck on the hoist until I get deeper water. I need maybe another 2 feet or so. 

[MOPanfisher]

Ameren is more than willing they just don't have the extra water.  They got worried and dumped it before the last predicted big rain which missed them and truman, so they dropped it hard and had no inflow to bring it back up.  Heard they were asking the COE to release water from Truman to bring them back up.  Except Truman is normal and doesn't have the extra water to send them.  Rain and a good one and or stop generating at Bagnell ate the only things gonna bring it back up.  Not looking great for runoff rains, and I don't know if they are still generating ot not.

[Old plug]

 

Ameren is more than willing they just don't have the extra water.  They got worried and dumped it before the last predicted big rain which missed them and truman, so they dropped it hard and had no inflow to bring it back up.  Heard they were asking the COE to release water from Truman to bring them back up.  Except Truman is normal and doesn't have the extra water to send them.  Rain and a good one and or stop generating at Bagnell ate the only things gonna bring it back up.  Not looking great for runoff rains, and I don't know if they are still generating ot not.

Wrong. They are on a schedule. They are currently in the lake clean up phase. They will not start raising the level till sometime in April. They have a very strict schedule they must follow. It is not up to them. It is more or less dictated to them by I believe bybthe Dept of Interior. We may get rain amd the lake will rise but unless it is at the planned stge it will be drawn down to where it is supose to be. Armen is not concerned with what the lake level is believe me. They are clncerned with what contract they signed with the goverment says. 

 

[MOPanfisher]

http://m.lakeexpo.com/news/lake_news/docks-on-dry-ground-as-lake-of-the-ozarks-water/article_1eec4340-e7c0-11e5-ac8a-eb1f513344ff.html?mode=jqm.   It appears that it would be news to Ameren then.  They are hopefully taking advantage of the low level but the required 3500 cfs release and no inflow isn't helping them. I believe the agency that regulates/governs them is FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is part of the Department of Energy.

[Bigin64083]

All I know is that is sucks I can't lower the boat, just another foot then I can get it out!

[Bigin64083]

 

Ameren is more than willing they just don't have the extra water.  They got worried and dumped it before the last predicted big rain which missed them and truman, so they dropped it hard and had no inflow to bring it back up.  Heard they were asking the COE to release water from Truman to bring them back up.  Except Truman is normal and doesn't have the extra water to send them.  Rain and a good one and or stop generating at Bagnell ate the only things gonna bring it back up.  Not looking great for runoff rains, and I don't know if they are still generating ot not.

That's what they get for listening to the weatherman.  

[fishin_addict]

Ameren operates according this curve more or less (http://apps.ameren.com/HydroElectric/Reports/Osage/GuideCurve.aspx).  I find they are slightly ahead/above the curve around the 1st of April the last couple years, which is still too shallow for my liking since our dock and hoist is in 1' of water now, but it gives you an idea of how they manage the level.  Like others have said they'll lower the lake ahead of a big rain if they forecast the lake will run too far above the curve, etc.

[fishinwrench]

After the December flood everyone was pissed at Ameren when their docks got stressed, and Ameren stated that they DON'T operate according to weather forecasts.  

Then in March they obviously DID operate according to a weather forecast by dropping an additional foot just before we were supposed to get a major rainfall event...but it missed us.  And people raised hell because docks were being stressed and Ameren said "SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE OPERATE ACCORDING TO FORECASTS!".   

What a bunch of children (on both sides).

For 30+ years it was no problem at all maintaining a manageable lake level within reason.  But now we have a fresh new crew with all new "technology" and they just can't seem to deal with it.   They have fukked up 3 consecutive years of white bass spawning runs by keeping the lake down around 657 until right before Memorial day, and their immediate draw-back-downs after any April/early May rises definitely screws up bass and crappie spawns.    If they don't stop this idiocracy they are gonna turn this lake into nothing but a giant catfish pond.  

[Jerry Rapp]

my bro-in-law is a higher up engineer at Ameren HQ's in St. Louis.  He says there are serious issues with the turbine intakes and they may need to lower the lake 20 feet this year to complete repairs which will insure the integrity of the dam itself.  Their environmental folks are working on plans with MDC, DNR and EPA.

[WeekendWarrior]

 

my bro-in-law is a higher up engineer at Ameren HQ's in St. Louis.  He says there are serious issues with the turbine intakes and they may need to lower the lake 20 feet this year to complete repairs which will insure the integrity of the dam itself.  Their environmental folks are working on plans with MDC, DNR and EPA.

That would NOT happen this year I would almost guarantee you. They would be warning people way before hand.