Lake Taneycomo residents and marinas concerned about low water levels - KYTV

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ROCKAWAY BEACH, Mo. (KY3) - For several boaters, residents and marina owners, inconsistent water levels on Lake Taneycomo have been like a constant guessing game.

The Ozark Beach Dam was repaired last summer after a few issues. Then it resumed operations as a powersite dam.

Residents say, even after it was fixed last year, water levels were not as low as they are now.

Joe Beeghly owns Mid-River Marina in Rockaway Beach. He has two docks with more than 30 slips in total that boaters rent from him. Beeghly also does several boat repairs for people living on the lake.

But right now, water levels are so low he has a few concerns about his business and his customers.

“Right now, we’ve got a low water problem yet again,” he said. "It’s a cycle we go through every year. Today, we have about six inches of water. It’s still not enough to get boats in and out, which is going to shut the shop down. "

He said his customers cannot get their boats in or out of the water right now, and several of them are land-locked.

“If your boat is in your dock or another spot on the lake, normally I would go get it," Beeghly said. "Bring it up here. Put it on a trailer, fix it and bring it back to you. I can’t do that because I can’t get to the boat ramp. If you can’t bring it to me, it’s gonna sit in the water until there’s enough water in the lake to do it.”

The buoy by his dock usually sits straight up on the water, but on Saturday it was tilted sideways in the mud. And instead of water by the shore, grass has started growing.

The dam’s minimum surface level of the is water is 700 feet. Resident Wayne McSorlery said he used an altimeter app on his iPhone to measure the levels by his dock, which did not measure that minimum of 700 feet.

“We’re reading that it is 696 on our dock, which means we are four feet below their minimum level," McSorlery said. "If they are holding their minimum level, then we would like someone from the Army Corps of Engineers or whoever is responsible to actually take an accurate reading of what it is right now. Because I doubt seriously it is at its 700 level.”

Liberty Utilities, which operates the dam, told some residents the low water levels are likely connected to an increase in silt.

“I can’t imagine two feet of silt being built in less than a year," resident Wayne Suliin said. “It makes no sense.”

Saliin said the utility company said he may have to extend his dock further out to where it is deeper, but he cannot do that. Beeghly also said he was told that he would need to dredge his area in order to make it deeper.

“Well you can’t dredge because the Army Corps of Engineers will not allow it,” Beeghly said. “Liberty Utilities does not have the authority to authorize us to dredge anything.”

He said dredging is not an option because it raises health and safety concerns. The silt from the lake would have to be pulled up and then dumped somewhere else.

”The silt is hazmat," Beeghly said. “When you get the silt out of the lake it becomes hazmat. You’re talking I don’t know how many metric tons. Thousands and thousands.”

Residents are also concerned about the wildlife and fishing opportunities in the area,

“This is one of the best trout fisheries in the country," resident and fisherman Wayne Larson said. “The trophy up by the Table Rock dam is probably the best tail-water fishing in this country. What’s happening to it, the quality and the water quality is going down hill.”

Wayne Saliin agreed.

“I know we’ve lived here three years and it’s harder to catch bass now than it was then."

Saliin and others also worry that the low water levels could also have an impact on their property.

“If your waterfront has got no water, that’s kind of a problem," he said. "And it will affect our real estate value.”

Two feet of water may not seem like a lot, but many of the people living on the lake think it would make a huge difference. They hope the dam operators decide to increase the water.

KY3 did reach out to Liberty Utilities, which operates the dam powersite. A spokesperson said they would be back in the office on Monday and could comment on the topic then.

Copyright 2020 KY3. All rights reserved.

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