Table Rock Lake

Table Rock Lake recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Corps of Engineers construction of the Table Rock Dam on the White River. This was just one dam and one lake along this river system but it has been the most significant over the subsequent 50 years in my view. Already a popular fishing and tourist area, the addition of the major lake just added more opportunities for recreation for a Midwestern population with more leisure time.

Gates open in April 2008

Following is a neat factoid from the Corps Lakes Gateway website: “Winding through the valleys of the Ozark Mountains, from Branson, Missouri to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Table Rock Lake is a paradise for boaters, scuba divers, campers and fishermen alike. Camping enthusiasts choose from 13 modern campgrounds located adjacent the lake. Full-service marinas provide service and convenience to boaters. Resorts located adjacent to Table Rock Lake provide visitors with numerous water-related activities and five commercial boat cruises operate on Table Lake seasonally.” {http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?Id=M418030}

Nancy checks the high level of the lake, April 2008

The Lake website of the Corps of Engineers also reminds us that there are over 100 resorts located adjacent to Table Rock Lake along with five commercial boat cruises or rides that operate on Table Rock Lake {http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/parks/tablerock/}. They also remind us that much of the lake is surrounded by portions of the Mark Twain National Forest.
{http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/}
We’ll plan to discuss the Mark Twain National Forest in a future post.

Recently, the local media reported that the Table Rock State Park {http://www.mostateparks.com/tablerock.htm}
is in the process of expanding their trail system to connect with nearby Lake Taneycomo, below Table Rock Lake in the lake system. We will also discuss Lake Taneycomo further in a future post.

If you haven’t visited the Ozarks region, yet, you should, soon!



Dr. Bill ;-)