22-mile section of Osage River reopens to recreational boating

Only the old lock can be seen Wednesday May 22, 2019, as water pours over a dam in the Osage River.
Only the old lock can be seen Wednesday May 22, 2019, as water pours over a dam in the Osage River.

The section of the Osage River from Lock and Dam No. 1 (12-mile mark) to the Route B bridge (34-mile mark) at St. Thomas is now open for recreational boating traffic, the Missouri Highway Patrol announced Friday in a news release.

The Highway Patrol's Water Patrol Division, which has been monitoring the Osage River, has determined the water level has dropped sufficiently to safely reopen the 22-mile section of the waterway.

The river is now open to recreational boating traffic from Lock and Dam No. 1 to Bagnell Dam.

While this section of the river has been opened, boaters should avoid creating wakes in areas still experiencing high water conditions, patrol officials said. Boaters should also be alert for floating debris.

The Osage River from the Missouri River to Lock and Dam No. 1 remains closed to recreational boating. Although the river level continues to drop, there are still flooded structures downstream from Lock and Dam No. 1.

On June 4, due to deteriorating safety conditions as a result of flooding and to prevent further property damage, Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten authorized the closure of the Osage River from the Missouri River to Bagnell Dam for recreational boating pursuant to state statutes, in consultation with the patrol.

On June 10, the patrol reopened the Osage River from the Route B bridge in St. Thomas to Bagnell Dam due to improved river conditions.

As of Friday, the Osage River at the Mari-Osa Delta was at 23 feet, according to the National Weather Service in St. Louis. The river was predicted to stay at that level through the weekend and continue to fall slowly through next week.