Water safety is nearly back to normal at Table Rock Lake

The water looked pretty dirty a couple of weeks ago, but now, much of the debris and bacteria is gone.

May 11, 2011|by Linda Russell, KY3 News | lrussell@ky3.com

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. -- At the Port of Kimberling on Table Rock Lake, things have settled down quite a bit since the flooding of a couple weeks ago.

"That was where the lake level was -- that's 935," said general manager Ryan Hamilton, pointing to a line on a utility pole at about eye level.

The lake had gone down about six feet on Wednesday from its record crest, and the big challenges are becoming smaller.

"Access has been our biggest challenge -- just keeping the boat docks so people can walk on them safely," Hamilton said.

Another safety issue: with the lake rising more than 20 feet from its normal level, plenty of waste and debris flushed into it.

"Anything from solid waste objects, trash that somebody might have thrown down in a gulley, can wash in through the rivers and creeks, to chemicals, anything you might put on your lawn," said Gopala Borchelt, executive director of Table Rock Lake Water Quality.

Animal waste and even some septic systems may have polluted the water.

"Your lake is only as clean as the land around it," said Borchelt.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the water at Table Rock Lake was pretty muddy, and seeing something just below the surface was pretty much impossible, but it's cleared up a lot now, and experts say the bacteria is mostly gone too.

"As far as the E.coli, that dies pretty quickly in the sunlight," Borchelt said.

Borchelt says the E.coli levels should be just the same now as they were last summer: pretty safe.

"There's always going to be some, especially in isolated areas like smaller coves where there's not a volume of water moving through, or in shaded areas," Borchelt said.

The flooding has triggered questions for potential lake visitors.

"We did get some phone calls about the safety of the lake," said Hamilton.

Things are actually getting back to normal out on the water; it just looks different around the shore.

"There's more water in it, but it's still accessible," Hamilton said.

Businesses all over the lake are open, and Table Rock is ready for the boaters and the season's first swimmers.

"I wouldn't have any problem taking my family out on the lake at all," said Hamilton.

Boaters may still have to look out for debris in some coves or in main tributaries, but most of it has washed up along the shores.

Regular water testing for water quality on Table Rock Lake will begin in another week or two. Stone County Health Department will be posting water testing results.

Ozarks Water Watch keeps more data on water quality.

|

|

|