Water quality at Lake of the Ozarks

Gov. Jay Nixon has made water quality in Missouri – especially at the Lake of the Ozarks – a priority. The Department of Natural Resources has several ongoing programs at the lake to sample water and analyze water quality. These programs include:

Lake of the Ozarks Initiative

On Sept. 23, 2009, Gov. Jay Nixon directed the DNR to conduct a sweeping enforcement initiative aimed at improving water quality at the Lake of the Ozarks. Included in this initiative:

Sampling for the water quality study began in October. 78 sites were sampled and will be analyzed for volatile organic analysis (VOA), pesticides (507 and 508), petroleum fractions, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, non-filterable residue (NFR), chloride, E. coli, and total alkalinity as CaCO3.  Field measurements of dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductivity, temperature and nephelometric turbidity will also be recorded at each site. A map of sampling locations is available online.

The inspection sweep began on Oct. 5, and more than 90 violations have been found and cited by the DNR to date. There are more than 400 wastewater facilities near the Lake of the Ozarks or its major tributaries with DNR-issued operating permits. A map of these facilities is available below. Staff from the DNR’s Southwest and Kansas City Regional Offices has handled these inspections. The weekly totals are posted below and may change as updates become available. 

Week of Inspections LOWs NOVs Referred for enforcement Return to compliance
Oct. 4-10 182 35 16 1  
Oct. 11-17 135 30 14 1  
Oct. 18-24 103 17 15 5 16
Oct. 25-31   9 7 8 8
Nov. 1-7   9 8 11  
Nov. 8-14       3 10
Total 420

100

 60

29

 34

Initiative plan

Baseline study of contaminants

Inspection sweep

Press Release: Gov. Nixon initiates massive, unprecedented water quality enforcement effort at Lake of the Ozarks

State park beach sampling

The Division of State Parks, a division of DNR, operates public beaches at 15 state parks throughout Missouri, including two beaches at Lake of the Ozarks State Park.  From May through October of each year, water samples are taken and analyzed weekly from these beaches. The DNR laboratory tests the samples to determine if water quality is safe for swimming. When bacteria readings reach certain levels, beaches are closed to the public until the next sampling determines the water is safe for swimming.

2007-2011 Lake Ozark Watershed Alliance (LOWA) and DNR Lake of the Ozarks Water Quality Study

This study is a five-year cooperative effort led by the DNR and LOWA, which provided trained volunteers to collect water samples. Each year approximately 30 coves are sampled monthly. The intent is to sample from Bagnell Dam to Truman Dam over the five-year period.

The volunteers collect samples monthly from May through October each year. Samples are analyzed by the DNR laboratory, where they are tested using methods approved by the EPA.  All samples are analyzed for E. coli. Rainfall data is recorded from a weather station located at the Lee C. Fine Airport in Osage Beach, Mo. This data is collected because rainfall can be a contributing factor to bacteria levels found in water samples.

Costs for the water testing run about $15,000 annually. The five-year project is funded through a settlement agreement with Ameren UE, which controls the shoreline at the Lake of the Ozarks and has certain responsibilities for management of the lake.

A map of the 2009 sampling locations used is available online.

Sampling results

Fact Sheet with FAQs about E. coli monitoring at Lake of the Ozarks, PUB2239 PDF

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