Because of the recent flooding, the City of Branson is having approximately 5,000 cubic yards of gravel and silt removed from an area about the size of a football field around the intake screens of the Meadows Water Plant – Lake Intake Station. The Intake is located near Lilly’s Landing, Ozark Trout and Lazy Valley Resorts on River Lane.
During the last flood event in April & May of 2017, approximately 5 – 6 feet of gravel and silt washed into this area due to bank erosion which occurred along Taneycomo between the Intake and Table Rock Dam. The screens are completely surrounded and buried with the material. The plant has been able to function, however, over time the screens will close off from blockage as they cannot be accessed for proper maintenance.
After soliciting sealed bids and notifying the Army Corp of Engineers, Branson selected McGruder Construction Co. of Eolia, Missouri, who was the low bidder at $361,620.00 for this project. The City anticipates 75% of the dredging cost to be reimbursed by FEMA’S disaster funding. That leaves the City with the unanticipated cost of $90,405.00 which will be taken from Utilities operational reserves.
McGruder is scheduled to begin assembly of their barge on Thursday, March 22nd at a staging area in the City Campground near Scotties Trout Dock. Once assembled the barge will be moved up the lake by tow boats to the area of the Meadows Intake.
Boat traffic will be impacted in the area of the Intake, however, a portion of the channel will remain open for boats to pass. The contractor asks boaters to use caution in the area as divers will be in the water assisting with the dredging efforts. Hydraulic dredge equipment will be used to pull the gravel and silt from the lake floor. The material will be pumped to a separator located on shore where the gravel will be removed and the water will be returned to the lake.
The separated gravel will be trucked to the City’s Cooper Creek wastewater treatment plant, located on Fall Creek Rd.
Under normal conditions Utilities staff has the intake screens inspected and cleaned every three years with a small amount of silt removed from beneath the screens every 10 years. With the intense flooding that has occurred over the last 10 years the City has had to perform this kind of dredging in 2011, 2015 and now for the event in 2017. It has been necessary to remove 5000 – 6000 cubic yards of material after each flood event.
Total expenses relating to flood damage recovery at the Meadows Intake facility has now exceeded $1.2 million dollars with 75% being eligible for reimbursement.
This project will take approximately 90 – 120 days to complete, possibly less with good weather conditions and normal lake levels.