KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a community open house Wednesday, March 13, 2019, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Harry S. Truman Dam Visitors Center, located at Truman Lake. The open house will provide the public an opportunity to become more aware of risks associated with living below a dam and current projects at the lake. All interested parties are encouraged to attend.
The Corps of Engineers completed a risk assessment in 2018 to update our understanding of possible concerns. The assessment confirmed there is a substantial number of people and businesses located below Harry S. Truman Dam. Due to the considerable population that could be impacted if a dam emergency were to occur, the Corps of Engineers has reclassified the dam as a moderate to high risk. The dam is currently operating as designed.
Dams reduce but do not eliminate the risk of flooding. It is important that residents downstream from the dam are aware of the potential consequences should the dam breach, not perform as intended, or experience major releases. The open house will promote emergency preparedness, communicate dam risk, and discuss how the Corps is managing the risks associated with the dam. The Corps of Engineers is proactively reducing risk by raising community awareness.
Harry S. Truman Dam is primarily a flood risk management project constructed in 1978 to manage flows along the Osage River. It is also used for hydroelectric power generation, recreation, water quality, water supply, and fish and wildlife. The City of Warsaw, MO and Lake of the Ozarks is located immediately downstream of the dam.
Release no. UNRELEASED