15 Lake Of The Ozarks Facts: An Unsafe Place To Swim!

The Lake of the Ozarks is located in the northern part of the Ozark in central Missouri, covering 54,000 ac (21,853 ha) of the surface area and about 1,150 mi (1,851 km) of the shoreline.

'The Missouri Dragon' or 'Puff The Magic Dragon' is the popular acronym used for the Lake of the Ozarks. The local citizens of Missouri gave the Lake of Ozarks this name because of its serpent-like shape.

It is considered the major resort area, and more than 5 million people visit the destination yearly.

This Lake of Ozark, situated in the south-central of Missouri, is located in the beautiful Ozark mountains, about 38 mi (62 km) away from Jefferson City. The main channel of the famed Osage Arm stretches roughly 92 mi (148 km) from end to end.

History Of Lake Of The Ozarks

The construction of the Lake of the Ozarks began on August 8, 1929, and was completed in April 1931. The principal engineering firm responsible for building the Bagnell Dam was Stone and Webster. Bagnell Dam is 2,543 ft (775 m) long by the Union Electric Company of St Louis, Missouri.

It is said that it reached its spillway elevation on May 20, 1931. The Lake of Ozark was initially referred to as an Osage reservoir.

The general assembly then named it Lake Benton after Senator- Thomas Hart Benton, but since the locals of the Ozark called it the northern edge of the Ozark, it was named the Lake of the Ozarks.

Cartography Of Lake Ozarks

Other interesting, fun facts about the history of the Lake of Ozark include that it is the biggest human-made lake in the United States and is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world.

It is said that during the period of construction of the Ozark Lake, more than 20 villages and settlements were flooded permanently, while research indicates the actual number to be close to eight. Several other previously abundant settlements were relocated and shifted to higher grounds to make way for the Lake.

Hydrography Of Ozarks Lake

The Lake of the Ozarks has very peculiar hydrography. It has a storage capacity of approximately 1,927,000 acft (237,692 ha m).

The surface elevation of the Lake of the Ozarks is 660 ft (201 m) and occupies a surface area of approximately around 54,000 ac (21,853 ha). Since the Lake was constructed solely for power generation and not load control, it has only a surface elevation of 5 ft (1.5 m) and is limited to flood control capacity.

The Lake of the Ozarks is also considered the largest reservoir and the second-largest reservoir after the Truman Reservoir.

Infrastructure: Bridges And Other Developments

Before visiting a place, it is better to know the interesting facts to enjoy and explore more. Bagnell Dam was initially constructed to supply electricity to Saint Louis city in Missouri.

1929-1931 was the period required for building the Bagnell Dam, and it was considered a beacon of light during the Great depression since it provided thousands and thousands of workers jobs in the region. Around the time Bagnell was constructed, around 20,000 workers worked for two consecutive years.

Linn creek was shifted from its original location to its second location when the construction plan for the Lake of the Ozarks was revealed. This indicated that the original location of the link would be flooded when the dam was completed.

In 1929, approximately $30 million were spent building the Bagnell Dam. That sum would translate to roughly $360 million in today's money.

The state park situated on the Lake of Ozarks, also known as the Lake of the Ozarks state park, is a beautiful park to visit, covering 90 mi (145 km) of the shoreline, including the Grand Glaize arm of the Osage. The park is the largest state park and has over 2.5 million visitors per year.

Entry to the Lake of the Ozarks state park is entirely free of cost for the public, and tourists enjoy it with plenty of hiking trails, swimming, fishing, and more.

One of the most famous tourist destinations in the midwest is the Lake of the Ozarks, and recently it was named the best recreational Lake in the country.

Approximately 3.5 million tourists visit the Lake of the Ozarks every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Lake Ozark runs 92 mi (148 km) end to end, and with the number of visitors, you can imagine how beautiful the lake area is.

The capacity of the lake area chamber for holding water is approximately 617 gal (2,805 l) of water.

A restaurant named 'Marty Byrde's,' which was in turn inspired by the TV series 'Ozark,' was opened in the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, and it is recognized for bringing in the most number of tourists here.

Ozarks holds an event called- 'the shootout' at the end of summer every year, which is considered as biggest powerboat racing event covering a 3 mi (5 km) course.

During summers, In July every year-AquaPolooza takes place in which the visitors and the event attendees gather together on rafts and inflatable tubes. In the event, live music is played at around noon 5 p.m., and the boaters link up their reports with one another.

The deepest point of the Lake of Ozarks is around 130 ft (40 m) deep.

The fishes found in the Ozarks include Bluegill, channel catfish, and largemouth bass, which are proven stocking combinations for both eating and sports fishing.

Did You Know?

The Lake of the Ozarks has many other fascinating facts besides its cartography and history. Below you can read some enthralling facts about it.

The gathering spot of the Lake of the Ozarks known as the Party Cove attracts up to 3,000 boats during July 4 weekend.

The term 'Puff the Magic Dragon' inspired the locals to name The Magic Dragon street.

70,000 plus homes on the shoreline area have been constructed, out of which most of them are vacation homes — most of the shoreline is privately owned.

 Also, there are many recreational activities to do and see on the Bagnell Dam strip. Keeping the fact in our heads that the food and drink options are amazing, and so are the shops and live music venues!