Agencies' collaboration expedites Landing project

Branson city officials have received cooperation from the Corps of Engineers, the Southwest Power Administration and Empire District Electric in keeping Lake Taneycomo water levels low.
The low water level is necessary for building a 2,000-foot sea wall that lines the Taneycomo waterfront and the new four-lane bridge over Roark Creek, according to a city of Branson news release. Construction on both the bridge and the sea wall is under way.
“The Taneycomo lake level will remain low for about eight weeks to complete the sea wall and piers that support the bridge,” said Branson City Engineer David Miller, in the release.
“The bridge is expected to have one lane finished and open in September to
provide construction access to the Branson Landing site and to alleviate additional downtown traffic. All four lanes of the bridge will be open for traffic in spring 2006, in time for the Branson Landing opening,” he added.
Southwest Power Administration, based in Tulsa, Okla., controls the amount of electrical power generated from Table Rock Dam.
The Corps of Engineers controls the lake level by releasing water when Southwest Power Administration requests it, and Empire District Electric controls generation at Power Site Dam, which affects Lake Taneycomo’s water level.
Average lake level for Taneycomo for this time of year is 703 feet above sea level. Because of construction, it has been dropped to 701.
“We’re only two feet below the average, which should not have a major impact on recreational activity,” said Jim Martin of Benham Cos., the project manager for Branson Landing.
Martin said the sea wall is a time-and-material project.
“The faster the contractor can complete the sea wall, the more money saved by the city because the contractor is renting a lot of equipment to complete this job,” he added.
Once the sea wall and piers are installed, Martin said that there should be no need to artificially lower the lake level for the remainder of the construction.
To keep electricity flowing to Southwest Power Administration during the eight-week period, the Corps of Engineers is switching the dam’s generators on during the overnight hours, giving the lake time to rise and recede before sea wall and bridge construction resumes each morning.