Table Rock Lake

Last updated

Table Rock Lake
Aerial photo of Table Rock Dam, lake, and White River, October 2009.jpg
An aerial photo of Table Rock Dam, completed in 1958, in Branson, Missouri, which impounds the White River and forms Table Rock Lake
USA Missouri relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Table Rock Lake
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Table Rock Lake
Location Missouri / Arkansas
Coordinates 36°34′00″N93°18′0″W / 36.56667°N 93.30000°W / 36.56667; -93.30000
Type reservoir
Primary inflows White River, James River, Kings River
Primary outflows White River
Basin  countriesUnited States
Surface area43,100 acres (174 km2)
Max. depth220 ft (67 m)
Water volume3,462,000  acre⋅ft (4.270 km3)
Shore length1Flood pool: 857 mi (1,379 km) Normal pool: 745 mi (1,199 km)
Surface elevation915 ft (279 m)
Settlements Branson, MissouriShell Knob, MissouriCape Fair, MissouriHollister, Missouri
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas in the United States. Designed, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lake is impounded by Table Rock Dam, which was constructed from 1954 to 1958 on the White River creating the lake. [1]

Contents

The lake is a popular attraction for the city of Branson, Missouri, and the nearby town of Shell Knob, Missouri. There are several commercial marinas along the lake, and Table Rock State Park is located on the east side, both north and south of Table Rock Dam. Downstream from the dam, the Missouri Department of Conservation operates a fish hatchery, which is used to stock trout in Lake Taneycomo, which begins immediately downstream from the Table Rock Dam. The cold water discharged from the dam creates a trout fishing environment in the lake.

The lake derives its name from a rock formation resembling a table at the small community of Table Rock, Missouri, on Highway 165 about a mile and a half downstream from where the dam was built. [2]

Lake temperature

The lake area temperature varies according to season: [3]

Lake data

Table Rock Dam during the April 2008 flood with all flood gates open Table Rock Dam during April 2008 White River Flood.jpg
Table Rock Dam during the April 2008 flood with all flood gates open

Dam and Outlet Measurements [4]

Dam elevations above mean sea level

Lake elevations above mean sea level

Surface area of lake

Maximum storage capacity

Shoreline length

Other

Power generating data

Flood control

Construction

The original purpose of the reservoir was flood control on the White River, receiving congressional authorization under the Flood Control Act of 1941. [5] Table Rock Dam, constructed from 1954 to 1958 at a cost of $65 million, confines Table Rock Lake and generates hydroelectric power. The reservoir has a fluctuation of 16 feet (4.9 m). When the reservoir is above the maximum flood pool, excess water goes over the auxiliary overflow spillway at the north end of the dam.

2005 Dam Safety Project

Table Rock Dam’s spillway capacity was evaluated as a result of a dam safety program in the 1990s. Using improved weather data and more modern technology and safety requirements, engineers determined that the lake would rise ten feet higher during the worst-case flood than previously calculated. An event of this magnitude would overtop the earthen embankment and destroy Table Rock Dam with catastrophic losses in downstream areas, including Branson. After considering several options and gathering considerable public input, an auxiliary spillway was determined to be the best solution. The auxiliary spillway was completed in 2005 at a cost of approximately $65,000,000. [6]

Summary of projections:[ citation needed ]

Historic Levels

Table Rock Lake has a record crest of 935.47 feet, which occurred on April 27, 2011.[ citation needed ]

In December 2015, the dam released 72,001 CFS at its peak. This is the highest amount ever released. [7]

Facilities and State Park

Sixteen public campgrounds are located around Table Rock Lake.  Campgrounds are managed by several different agencies and campsites range from full-hookup to non-electric tent sites[ citation needed ] For details about each of the US Army Corps of Engineers parks, check out Recreation.gov. 

The US Army Corps of Engineers Dewey Short Visitor Center is located 6 miles west of US Hwy 65 on Missouri State Hwy 165 at the south end of Table Rock Dam.

The visitor center has exhibits about the White River Watershed, local habitats, Table Rock Dam, and the US Army Corps of Engineers as well as several interactive exhibits including maps, power generation and water safety. It also features an overlook which allows visitors to view Table Rock Lake, the dam, and Lake Taneycomo from one viewing deck. The center shows a 20 minute film entitled, "Taming of the Riviera Blanche". This film is an introduction to the Table Rock Lake/White River area and details the construction and purpose of Table Rock Dam.

The visitor center features a public-use dock, picnic areas, fishing, a lakeshore trail.

Table Rock State Park provides public access to the lake. Six miles from Branson and located just south of the dam and outlet, facilities include a boat launch and full service marina (including cafe, boat rental and scuba dive shop), campground (including full RV hookups and a yurt), fishing access, swimming access (no beach), picnic area, amphitheater, hiking and mountain bike trails, and dump station. [8]

On July 19, 2018, a duck boat carrying tourists capsized from severe weather. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Dam</span> Dam in Linn County/Marion County, Oregon

Detroit Dam is a gravity dam on the North Santiam River between Linn County and Marion County, Oregon. It is located in the Cascades, about 5 mi (8.0 km) west of the city of Detroit. It was constructed between 1949 and 1953 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The dam created 400-foot (120 m) deep Detroit Lake, more than 9 miles (14 km) long with 32 miles (51 km) of shoreline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull Shoals Lake</span> Reservoir in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, United States

Bull Shoals Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, United States. It has hundreds of miles of lake arms and coves, and common activities include boating, water sports, swimming, and fishing. Nineteen developed parks around the shoreline provide campgrounds, boat launches, swim areas, and marinas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White River (Arkansas–Missouri)</span> River in the US

The White River is a 722-mile (1,162 km) river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri. Originating in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, it arcs northwards through southern Missouri before turning back into Arkansas, flowing southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Morris Dam</span> Dam in Livingston County

The Mount Morris Dam is a concrete gravity dry dam on the Genesee River. It is located at the northern end of Letchworth State Park, south of Rochester, New York in the towns of Leicester and Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York. It is the largest dam of its type east of the Mississippi River and its purpose is to mitigate downstream flooding between Mount Morris and Lake Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keystone Lake</span> Dam in Oklahoma Pawnee / Osage / Creek / Tulsa counties, Oklahoma

Keystone Lake is a reservoir in northeastern Oklahoma on the Arkansas and Cimarron rivers. It is located upstream about 23 miles (37 km) from Tulsa. It was created in 1968 when the Keystone Dam was completed. The primary purposes are: flood control, hydroelectric power generation, wildlife management and recreation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oahe Dam</span> Dam in Hughes/Stanley counties, South Dakota

The Oahe Dam is a large earthen dam on the Missouri River, just north of Pierre, South Dakota, United States. Begun in 1948 and opened in 1962, the dam creates Lake Oahe, the fourth-largest man-made reservoir in the United States. The reservoir stretches 231 miles (372 km) up the course of the Missouri to Bismarck, North Dakota. The dam's power plant provides electricity for much of the north-central United States. It is named for the Oahe Indian Mission established among the Lakota Sioux in 1874.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dworshak Dam</span> Dam in Idaho

Dworshak Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the western United States, on the North Fork of the Clearwater River in north central Idaho. In Clearwater County, the dam is located approximately four miles (6 km) northwest of Orofino and impounds the Dworshak Reservoir for flood control and hydroelectricity generation. By capacity, the reservoir is the largest in Idaho and fourth-largest in the Pacific Northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavins Point Dam</span> Dam in Nebraska and Yankton County, South Dakota.

Gavins Point Dam is a 1.9-mile-long (3 km) embankment rolled-earth and chalk-fill dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lewis and Clark Lake. The dam joins Cedar County, Nebraska with Yankton County, South Dakota a distance of 811.1 river miles (1,305 km) upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, where the river joins the Mississippi River. The dam and hydroelectric power plant were constructed as the Gavins Point Project from 1952 to 1957 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan. The dam is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west or upstream of Yankton, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuttle Creek Lake</span> Kansas reservoir on the Big Blue River

Tuttle Creek Lake is a reservoir on the Big Blue River 5 miles (8 km) north of Manhattan, in the Flint Hills region of northeast Kansas. It was built and is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers for the primary purpose of flood control. Secondary functions of the project include release of water stores to maintain barge traffic on the Mississippi River during seasons of drought, maintenance of a multi-use conservation pool for fish and wildlife enhancement and recreation, and release of sufficient water in droughts to maintain water quality for downstream communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addicks Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Texas, United States

The Addicks Reservoir and Addicks Dam in conjunction with the Barker Reservoir prevent downstream flooding of Buffalo Bayou in the city of Houston, Texas. Both reservoirs were authorized under the Rivers and Harbors Act of June 20, 1938, which was modified by the Flood Control Acts of 1938, 1954, and 1965. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed construction of Addicks Dam and the outlet facility in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benbrook Lake</span> Reservoir in Tarrant County, Texas

Benbrook Lake is a reservoir on the Clear Fork of the Trinity River in Tarrant County, Texas, USA. The lake is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the center of Fort Worth, where the Clear Fork and the West Fork of the Trinity River join. The lake is impounded by the Benbrook Dam. The lake and dam are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford Lake</span> Reservoir in Geary / Clay / Dickinson counties in Kansas, US

Milford Lake, also known as Milford Reservoir, is the largest man-made lake in Kansas with 15,700 acres (64 km2) of water. Over 33,000 acres (130 km2) of land resources are managed for quality recreational experiences as well as for protection of the project’s natural and cultural resources. Approximately 70% of the land resources are available for public hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Redmond Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Coffey County, Kansas

John Redmond Reservoir is a reservoir on the Neosho River in eastern Kansas. Built and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it is used for flood control, recreation, water supply, and wildlife management. It borders the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge to the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard B. Russell Dam</span> Dam in Georgia, USA

Richard B. Russell Dam is a concrete-gravity and embankment dam located on the Savannah River at the border of South Carolina and Georgia, creating Richard B. Russell Lake. The dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1974 and 1985 for the purposes of flood control, hydroelectricity, recreation, additional stream flow regulation, water supply, and fish and wildlife management. The concrete structure of the dam spans 1,904 feet (580 m) and rises 210 feet (64 m) above the riverbed, housing a hydro-power plant with an installed 600 megawatts (800,000 hp) capacity. The Richard B. Russell Dam is the final large dam completed by the U.S. Army Corps in the Savannah River Basin and lies 30 miles downstream from the Hartwell Dam (1962) and 37 miles (60 km) upstream from the J. Strom Thurmond Dam (1954).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Dam</span> Dam in Irwindale, California

Santa Fe Dam is a flood-control dam on the San Gabriel River located in Irwindale in Los Angeles County, California, United States. For most of the year, the 92-foot (28 m)-high dam and its reservoir lie empty, but can hold more than 45,000 acre-feet (56,000,000 m3) of water during major storms. During the dry season, the basin behind the dam is used for groundwater recharge, as well as various recreational activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gathright Dam</span> Dam in near Kincaid, Virginia

Gathright Dam is an earthen and rolled rock-fill embankment dam on the Jackson River 19 miles (31 km) north of Covington, Virginia. The dam is 257 feet (78 m) tall and 1,310 feet (400 m) long and has a controlled spillway within the structure's southern portion. It creates Lake Moomaw, which has a normal volume of 40 billion US gallons (150,000,000 m3). The dam serves flood control and recreational purposes and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard A. Hanson Dam</span> Dam in Washington, USA

Howard A. Hanson Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Green River, 21 miles (34 km) east of Auburn, Washington. The dam was completed in 1961 and its primary purpose is flood control along with water supply for Tacoma, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abiquiu Dam</span> Dam in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

Abiquiu Dam is a dam on the Rio Chama, located about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Santa Fe in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, USA. Built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the dam is an earth embankment structure 354 feet (108 m) high and 1,800 feet (550 m) long, containing 11.8 million cubic yards of fill. The dam forms Abiquiu Lake, one of the largest lakes in New Mexico, with a full storage capacity of 1,369,000 acre-feet (1,689,000 dam3) and 5,200 acres (2,100 ha) of water. To date, the reservoir has never filled to capacity, with a record high of 402,258 acre-feet (496,178 dam3), 29.4% of full pool, on June 22, 1987. The dam's primary purpose is flood control, in addition to irrigation and municipal water storage, and hydroelectric generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mojave Forks Dam</span> Dam in Hesperia, California

The Mojave Forks Dam, most often known as the Mojave River Dam, is an earth-fill dry dam across the Mojave River in San Bernardino County, California in the United States. Completed in 1974 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the dam is located at the confluence of the West Fork Mojave River and Deep Creek, and can store approximately 179,400 acre⋅ft (221,300,000 m3) of water.

References

  1. "Little Rock District > Missions > Recreation > Lakes > Table Rock Lake > Dam and Lake Information". www.swl.usace.army.mil. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  2. "Branson Table Rock Lake". ThousandHills.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  3. "Table Rock Lake MO". bransont. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  4. "Little Rock District > Missions > Recreation > Lakes > Table Rock Lake > Dam and Lake Information". www.swl.usace.army.mil. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  5. "Little Rock District > Missions > Recreation > Lakes > Table Rock Lake > Dam and Lake Information". www.swl.usace.army.mil. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  6. "Little Rock District Website > Missions > Recreation > Lakes > Table Rock Lake > Dam and Lake Information". www.swl.usace.army.mil. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved May 21, 2020.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. Little Rock District Corps of Engineers
  8. "Table Rock State Park". mostateparks.com. December 10, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  9. "Missouri duck boat accident leaves 17 dead, including children". SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. July 20, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2025.

Further reading