While watching two area parks sink beneath the waves...

Entrance to Shadowrock Park!

Forsyth MO. - On what was likely to be one of my last drives through Shadowrock Park, located near Forsyth Missouri, I couldn't help but to lament the loss of a great recreational area....once again.

With the Bull Shoals water level at at little over 677 feet (normal levels would be 659), I could see that very soon the only access road was likely to be covered with water. Just before that happened, the city authorities would close and lock the two gates that allowed traffic to flow through. And when that happens, the area will be minus two of the three parks that give so much pleasure to so many during better times.

Picnic canopies nearly covered!

Over across the way, the other park aka River Run had been inundated for a week or more as it was located at a slightly lower elevation. And now, with Shadowrock disappearing, that left only Empire Park to for boating, fishing and walking. So, who or what was to blame?

Empire Park always is high & dry!

When you factored in the fact that most of southwest Missouri had experienced near normal amounts of rainfall, one had to go a bit further afield to understand exactly why things were just slightly sideways. And, that search need go no further than northwest Arkansas where the Bull Shoals dam is located and which empties out into what amounts to a large stream. (A 'stream' that meanders its way down to the Mississippi River which is currently experiencing its own problems resulting from floods in the central and northern tier of states)! So, one could say that in cases were other states get excessive rainfall, that sort of event will sometimes (always) also impact the trio of lakes (Beaver) Tablerock and Bull Shoals) where I live.

In my view, this is not a very good state of affairs, not only for the Tri-Lakes area but also for other areas that were suffering even worse problems. I wonder if anyone, say the Corps of Engineers, has a clue as how to improve things in the future.