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HISTORY
 The
world renowned recreation area known as Lake of the Ozarks began in the early
days of the 20th Century with the need to supply the city of St. Louis with
electricity.
The lake was born on August 6, 1929 when workers began building a
hydroelectric dam across the Osage River near the tiny town of Bagnell in the
Ozark plateau of mid-Missouri.
The $30 million dam project was the undertaking of Union Electric Company (UE).
The dam project would create 10,000 jobs and eventually employ some 25,000
workers to fill those jobs. When it was built Lake of the Ozarks was the
largest manmade lake in the world.
To create the 1,375 miles of lake shoreline the electric company built a
concrete dam 2,543 ft. long, supporting a 20-ft. roadway and a 3-ft. wide
sidewalk. At the time it generated 215,000 kilowatts of electricity most of
which was sent to St. Louis and surrounding areas.
To allow the waters of the Osage, Niangua and Little Niangua Rivers, and
numerous creeks and streams to fill the lake, UE surveyed and mapped more than
100 square miles and cleared thousands of trees from 30,000 acres of Ozark
valleys and hills. Workman moved 900 miles of fence, 32 cemeteries, containing
2,850 graves, and the entire town of Linn Creek, population 500.
The lake opened for use May 1931 just two years after construction began. Over
the next 30 years several resorts were established on the lake's shores, but
it wasn't until the 1960s that the area began to be known as a tourist mecca.
In the late 1970s the lake area began a development boom that has continued at
such a rate that by the beginning of the second millenium it is one of the
fastest growing areas in the midwest.
Today, the lake is still privately owned by AmerenUE Corporation. It covers
61,000 acres and holds 617 billion gallons or 87 billion cubic feet of water.
Enough to supply the entire city of St. Louis for 12 years. The surrounding
area hosts more than 4 million visitors each year and is the site of 40
percent of the vacation homes of Missourians who own second homes.
Two of Missouri's premier state parks are in the lake area. Lake of the Ozarks
State Park which at 17,000 acres is the largest in Missouri and Ha Ha Tonka
which is considered by many to be one of the most scenic.
The lake's shores stretch from Bagnell Dam in the town of Lake Ozark, 92 miles
in a northwesterly direction to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dam on
Truman Lake. There are more than 40,000 boat docks along its shorelines and
upwards of 70,000 boats plying its waters on any given holiday weekend. The
lake is kept safe by a contingency of 21 officers of the Missouri Water Patrol
a division of the state's Department of Public Safety. In addition to the
lake's reputation for unsurpassed boating, fishing and other water sports, the
area boasts a plethora of professional-style golf courses and is home to two
other well-known amusement destinations, Bagnell Dam Strip and the world
famous Party Cove.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that the lake area has some of the most unique natural and
man-made features in the state, or for that matter in the whole country.
For instance, did you know that even though Missouri became a state in 1821,
several of the towns in Miller and Camden counties did not exist until the
latter part of the 1900s.
That's right! The cities of Camdenton, Lake Ozark and Osage Beach were built
after Union Electric built Bagnell Dam and Lake of the Ozarks. In fact,
Camdenton was built specifically to serve as the county seat of Camden County
in 1930. Lake Ozark and Osage Beach were both incorporated in the 1960s.
Previously, they had simply been a series of privately-owned tourist stops
along Highway 54.
Just in case you already knew those facts, how about these.
Did you know:
- That Lake of the Ozarks State Park at 17,441 acres is the largest in
Missouri.
- That year-round camping is available in Lake of the Ozarks State Park in
the form of primitive cabins furnished only with wood stoves and no plumbing
or electricity.
- That Ha Ha Tonka was supposed to be our first state park, but wasn't
accepted by the state legislature until 1978, making it not Missouri's oldest,
but one of its youngest state parks.
- That the spring at Ha Ha Tonka spews out more than 4.8 millions gallons of
water daily.
- That what is now Ha Ha Tonka State Park was once a favorite hunting and
trapping spot of Daniel Boone and his son Nathan.
- That Lee Mace's Ozark Opera in Osage Beach is the oldest live-on-stage
country music show in the state of Missouri.
- That at nearly 1,300 miles the shoreline of the Lake of the Ozarks is
longer than the coastline of California.
- That Lake of the Ozarks is the largest privately-owned lake in the United
States.
- That more than 3.5 million tourists visit the lake between Memorial Day
and Labor Day each year.
- That Camden County is one of the top five fastest growing counties in
Missouri.
- That nearly all of the rivers in the Ozarks flow north instead of south,
including the Osage, Niangua, Glaize and Little Niangua all of which feed the
Lake of the Ozarks.
- That Pomme de Terre lake, 45 miles southwest of Camdenton, Truman Lake,
ninety miles northwest of Camdenton, and Lake of the Ozarks are interconnected
and the water level in one affects the water level in the other two.
- That when the weathermen say the water level in Lake of the Ozarks is at
660 feet, they're talking about sea level not water depth.
- That Bagnell Dam at 148 feet wide by 148 feet high is held in place by a
combination of gravity and its own weight.
- That Bagnell Dam houses 8 turbines capable of generating 212 million watts
of electricity and pumping 1.4 million gallons of water per second through the
dam.
- That Bagnell Dam is hollow and has numerous rooms on several floors.
- That its lowest room is 130 feet below the surface of the lake.
- That the entire operation of Bagnell and Taumsauk Dams is controlled by
one man who sits at a computer inside Bagnell.
- That Willmore Lodge, now a visitor's center and museum, was originally
built as a guest house for dignitaries who came to the Ozarks to watch the
construction of Bagnell Dam.
- That the Willmore Lodge is constructed entirely of logs brought here from
Oregon specifically for that purpose.
- That entire town of Linn Creek, once the county seat of Camden County, had
to be moved 4 miles up hill to make way for the lake.
- That prior to the construction of the lake a large segment of the
population of Camden County was African American.
- That one of Missouri's earliest governors Joseph W. McClurg began his
political career in Camden County.
- That in the 1940s and 50s, tours of local caves, including Bridal Cave,
Jacobs Cave, Stark Caverns and the caves in what is now Ha Ha Tonka State Park
drew almost as many visitors as the lake, itself.
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CLIMATE AND WEATHER
The Lake of the Ozarks area enjoys a diverse climate. Warm, sunny days
in the summer, typically mild winters with enough snow to make it fun,
springtime showers that are refreshing, and cool colorful autumns that
are relaxing.
When packing for your visit, diversity in your suitcase is important, as
the weather can change overnight. And don't forget your sunscreen!
Be sure to check out our up-to-date
weather forecast!
Lake Information
Ameren UE Lake Level and Temperature: 1-573-365-9205
Call for a recorded message with lake level, Bagnell Dam generation
schedule, water temp and lake level forecast. Updated each
morning.
Missouri Road Conditions Hotline: 1-800-222-6400
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Bagnell Dam 75th Anniversary
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Hailed as the most skillful engineering feat of its
day, actual construction of Bagnell Dam (and what was at that time the
worldıs largest man-made lake), began August 6, 1929 by Union Electric
Company of St. Louis, MO
(now AmerenUE). |
| The Lake covers 54,000 acres, impounds 646 billion
gallons of water and has 1,150 miles of cove indented shoreline. These
immense statistical facts have created the opportunity for the
spectacular tourism area we all enjoy today. Thousands of visitors
travel here every year to enjoy the beauty and recreation that was
brought about by the Great Osage River Project. |
The Great Osage River Project
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Four months after construction began, the stock market
crashed. While the rest of the nation was caught in The Great
Depression, the mammoth Bagnell undertaking brought about a growth and
expansion to central Missouri which continues today. Some 4,600 workers
were employed at one time, among 20,500 total individuals,
over two years.
The project was divided into three categories. The dam and power
house included construction of all features relating to the structure
and generating plant. These included a camp, roads, railroad tracks and
temporary structures. Transmission lines included all manner of design,
location and construction of the lines to carry electricity to the
marketplace. The reservoir included location, land surveys and mapping
of what is now the Lake of the Ozarks.
Once cleared, the reservoir was outlined. The Osage River was
impounded and the lake began to fill on February 2, 1931. The lake was
opened to travel May 30, 1931. Backwaters extended up the Niangua, Grand
Glaize, Grand and Pomme de Terre rivers. The reservoir encompasses 92
square miles, or some 54,000 acres of which 30,000 acres required
clearing.
The dam is of concrete gravity type, 2,543ft long. It consists of a
511ft long power station, 520ft long spillway section and two
non-overflow retaining sections adjacent to the river banks. The dam
supports a concrete highway structure, which includes a 20ft wide
roadway and a 3ft sidewalk, both spanning the entire length of the dam.
The 215,000 kilowatt capacity power plant provides electricity to a
large area of the state.
The Lake covers 54,000 acres, impounds 646 billion gallons of water
and has 1,150 miles of cove indented shoreline. These immense
statistical facts have created the opportunity for the spectacular
tourism area we all enjoy today. Thousands of visitors travel here every
year to enjoy the beauty and recreation that was brought about by the
Great Osage River Project. |
The Construction of Bagnell Dam: When It Happened
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| August 6, 1929 Construction Began
September 5, 1929 Clearing for Reservoir Started
September 30, 1929 Layout of Cofferdam (Spillway and West Abutment)
October 3, 1929 Excavation for East Abutment Started
October 11, 1929 Excavation for West Abutment Started
November 21, 1929 First Steel Setting on Osage Bridge
December 21, 1929 Temporary Power House Tested
April 9, 1930 First Concrete Poured
July 22, 1930 Diversion Channel Opened
August 5, 1930 Upstream Side of Cofferdam Closed
December 10, 1930 Power House Steel Structure Erection Started
January 31, 1931 Highway Slab Completed
February 2, 1931 Lake Began to Fill
May 20, 1931 Lake Reached Spillway Crest Elevation
May 30, 1931 Lake Traffic Began
August 6, 1931 Generator Tests Started
September 3, 1931 Water Wheel Tests Started
October 16, 1931 First Commercial Operation of Osage Plant
December 24, 1931 Lake Area Electric Service Began
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