The EPA could declare the Lake of the Ozarks as an “impaired waterway.” What does this mean? It could mean that one of the Midwest’s most beloved watering holes is ecologically impaired.
Currently, the EPA is in the process of adding the Lake of the Ozarks to the list of DNR’s (the Department of Natural Resources) impaired waterways. Why? Because the lake’s chlorophyll-a levels were above the EPA’s impairment threshold.
Two Lake area congressmen, along with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, are pushing back against the EPA’s plan to place the Lake of the Ozarks on impaired waterways list. Vicky Hartzler and Blaine Luetkemeyer wrote a letter to Mr. Edward H. Chu (the acting Regional Administrator for Region 7 of the EPA) citing unverified and out-of-date data, inconsistent criteria, and other inadequate information.
High levels of chlorophyll-a means there is an excessive amount of algae in the water. This causes green scum and low oxygen levels which could hurt the ecosystem and kill fish.
About Lake of the Ozarks
The Lake of the Ozarks hosted approximately 10 million visitors in 2020 despite the coronavirus – an increase from the usual 5.4 million visitors per year. In fact, the 2020 spring break at the lake was featured on national news as hordes of people gathered without masks and without practicing social distancing recommendations and requests.
The Lake of the Ozarks has 1,150 miles of shoreline and holds an estimated 83 trillion cubic feet of water. Some other fun facts about Mid-Missouri’s premiere vacation destination include:
- The Lake of the Ozarks is 130 feet deep at its greatest depth.
- Of all the people who own two homes in the Midwest,40% own one of them at the Lake of the Ozarks.
- The Lake of the Ozarks has approximately 70,000 docks.
- The Lake of the Ozarks was the largest man-made lake in the world during its creation in 1931. As of present-day, it is the second-largest manmade lake, behind Truman Lake.
- The Bagnell Dam is 2,543 feet long.
- The Lake of the Ozarks holds approximately 617 billion gallons of water.
With our environment changing both due to global warming and the shifting pandemic, it’s no wonder the Lake of the Ozarks water quality is changing. With more people visiting the destination site comes more repercussions to the environment. Luckily, this hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. There are many volunteers out to clean the shorelines – namely, Ameren shoreline providing trash cans and dumpsters to help with the clean-up.
In summary, if you decide to go to the Lake, be conscientious of the environment! It’s not merely there for your enjoyment, it is home to other people and wildlife as well!
About Aquasani Water Purification Systems
Aquasani is an authorized dealer for Rainsoft, WaterLogic, & JavaSmart. Based in Springfield, Mo., and at Lake of the Ozarks / Osage Beach in Missouri, Aquasani services areas in the Ozarks including Osage Beach, Camdenton, Aurora and even Jefferson City. In essence, we service Mid-Missouri, Southwest Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas, and have been servicing these areas since 2004. We provide home water softener systems, drinking water filtration systems, whole-house air purification systems, and problem-solving water filtration systems for homes and offices. We also service other water softeners like Culligan, Sterling, Hydroquad, Pro-Series, and Whirlpool to name a few!
Aside from our purification systems, we also sell all-natural cleaning products and household items which are environmentally friendly and low-cost.
We specialize in water filtration and purification for both commercial businesses and residential homes. If that isn’t enough, we provide free trials for our water cooler services. If you would like a free estimate, schedule an appointment with us by calling (417) 881-4000 or (573) 692-4009 if you are in the Lake of the Ozarks area.
Fill out the form below and one of our Aquasani teammates will sort you out!
