Local Taney County gas prices rise, but will be lower than normal.

Chart runs from mid Jan 2019 to Mid June 2020
Conoco, Forsyth MO.

Taney County MO - Every summer, regional refineries change over from so-called winter blends of gasoline to the summer mixtures. This often accompanied with high prices that reflect the cost of the change over. Not so for the summer of 2020, as the Covid-19 virus has greatly impacted travel!

The above chart was compiled by the author and reflects dates and the cost of regular gas per gallon  at the White Oak Conoco station on Highway 160 in Forsyth Mo.

Arvest Bank location to become office and event space!

Forsyth MO. - I talked briefly with the owners who acquired the Arvest Bank building and who have work crews there now transforming the former bank into office and event space. I was informed that information concerning the structure would be made available as early as the 12th of June (Friday) and that I might be able to get inside for pictures. So, an update is coming...

Update: I stopped at this site on Tuesday, June 16 and was told it would be another two weeks before the office spaces would be 'presentable'.

A delicate balance of a few billion tons of water!

Forsyth MO. - For whatever reason (although I'll get into some in future blogs), the two bodies of impounded water controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers could just possibly get into trouble due to both recent and imminent future rainfalls. First, some factual information;

[Source – Wikipedia] 'The original purpose of the reservoir was for flood control on the White River. The dam had been authorized a month earlier under the Flood Control Act of September 3, 1943. The reservoir has a fluctuation of 16 feet (4.9 m). When the reservoir is above the maximum flood pool, excess water goes over the auxiliary overflow spillway at the north end of the dam.

Table Rock Dam’s spillway capacity was evaluated as a result of a dam safety program in the 1990s. Using improved weather data and more modern technology and safety requirements, engineers determined that the lake would rise ten feet higher during the worst-case flood than previously calculated. An event of this magnitude would over top the earthen embankment and destroy Table Rock Dam with catastrophic losses in downstream areas, including Branson. To prevent the potential loss of life and property damages, congress approved and authorized construction of the Dam Safety Project. After considering several options and gathering considerable public input, an auxiliary spillway was determined to be the best solution. The auxiliary spillway was completed in 2005 at a cost of approximately $65,000,000.

The worst case scenario of a catastrophic floodwater discharge from Table Rock Lake using the auxiliary floodgates would roughly resemble this:

At elevation 931 Table Rock Lake is at full flood capacity. The ten Tainter gates are opened to accommodate additional lake inflow from the White River Basin including the James River and Beaver Lake discharge.

At elevation 937 Table Rock Lake is 6 feet above flood capacity. The ten Tainter gates are opened wider in an effort to stabilize reservoir rise. Outflow from the Lake under these circumstances will be nearing 200-300 thousand cubic feet per second (CFS).

At elevation 942 Table Rock Lake is 11 feet above flood capacity and at its "design pool", or the maximum elevation that the reservoir is engineered to reach, under "probable maximum flood" scenarios. The dam’s ten Tainter gates will be fully raised to their maximum height of approximately 30 feet letting loose 550 thousand CFS into Lake Taneycomo. This scenario would effectively submerge and destroy the powerhouse, power transmission grid, hatchery, and wreak serious destruction down stream.

At elevation 947 Table Rock Dam would be at its maximum capacity and water would be at the very top of the dam. The auxiliary spillway would be brought online, in concert with Table Rock’s fully opened floodgates. This catastrophic or "last resort" protocol releases 1 million CFS of lake waters into Taneycomo and deals dreadful destruction to Branson, Hollister, Point Lookout and possibly the Powersite Dam. At this point there is a danger of water over-topping the concrete dam and breaching the earthen structure, which imminently leads to cataclysmic structural failure and the uncontrolled release of the Table Rock Lake impoundment—nearly 3 million CFS of water.

Historical facts: Table Rock Lake has a record crest of 935.47 feet, which occurred on April 27, 2011.

In December 2015, the dam released 72,000 CFS at its peak. This is the highest amount ever released.'

As of May 23rd, the water levels were at;

Click to enlarge

Now while the smallest impounded Lake (Beaver) was doing OK, her two downstream neighbors were carrying a bit of a load. The biggest worry being Bull Shoals, currently at 693 feet or just two feet below flood pool levels. Note that 'flood pool' as defined by Law Insider reads;

30 (24) “Flood pool elevation” means the maximum water surface elevation of a reservoir, equal to the elevation of the spillway.

This is the point at which a dam would be forced to start discharging 'against the will of those in control'. (Note that the Table Rock Dam level was at 926 feet with their flood pool set at 931 feet - That's 4 feet away)! Also note that when were are talking about the height of a body of water, we are referring to msl or height above mean sea level.

So, even though the coming week of rain only equals about an inch, the water game is certainly getting a bit dicey, to say the least!

Save A Lot plants and seedlings!

Forsyth MO. - I noticed the owner, Mark, of Save A Lot was setting up lots of milk crates in the front of his store on a Monday, April 20th and I inquired as to when he might have some plants and seedlings for sale. I was told that the supplier was due to arrive shortly before noontime on Tuesday, April the 21st.

The weather for Tuesday was expected to be sunny and around 74°. I made plans to show up!

www.taneyweather.com

A tip for clean hands in a time of viral attacks!

Forsyth MO. - I'm not sure now just how long I've been cooped up in my condo, it seems like ages. Everyone, it seems, is hyper sensitive to getting the coronavirus on their hands which could then be transferred to their face! God forbid!

One practice I adopted, even before the bug hit us, was to add a bit of bleach to the soapy water when I hand wash my dishes. Yes, as a single guy, I hate to waste water using the dishwasher and feel I do as good or even a better job in getting my glasses, dishes and utensils ultra clean.

I also get two side benefits; 1) My hands come out virus free and 2) that old porcelain sink really shines! That's a win win for me!

Playgrounds ordered closed by the City of Forsyth!

Forsyth MO. - Local City of Forsyth officials have ordered area playgrounds closed for the foreseeable future due to worries about the Coronavirus outbreak! A spokesperson confirmed this order by phone, will also indicating that the Shadowrock Park area would remain open, until it was forced to close due to expected flooding.

Meanwhile, local fishermen were in wide abundance due to so many not currently working.

The author planned to visit the parks for as long as they remained open as this would likely be the last time for the 2020 season.

Forsyth Mo - Kar Lot dealership!

Forsyth MO - On what was a glorious Thursday in Late March, and like many others who had become stir crazy what with the virus, I decided to take a drive around town. As I passed the Kar Lot located on Highway 160, I noticed some movement inside the office building and stopped to inquire if the auto service area was open for oil changes and thing like that. The owner, Lonny, informed me that they were taking appointments as was normal. You can call (417) 546-8484 and set one up if you need any service done. I was also informed that they could take a customer around the lot if one was interested in buying some wheels. 

You can go online and check out their inventory by clicking on the Kar Lot. I noticed that the dealership had some mighty fine rides and perhaps they might be more willing to wheel and deal amidst the current viral outbreak.