A major breach in the upper reservoir of AmerenUE’s Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant flooded the local area late last week.
DNR Director Doyle Childers and State Parks Division Director Doug Eiken have joined environmental emergency response and parks staff in Reynolds County to learn more about the impacts of the flooding.
The State of Missouri does not regulate this type of dam – the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission inspects Taum Sauk, located near Lesterville in Reynolds County, on an annual basis. 5.9B litres of water from the plant’s upper reservoir flooded Johnson’s Shut-Ins state park and nearby roads.
DNR has asked for a flood study, which will show the extent and volume of water discharged over the area and will document the actual event.
The department is also working with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for technical assistance on options to prevent additional sediment from entering the Black river.
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