Last week I attended a Realtor meeting with spokesperson Jeff Green of Ameren UE.
He talked about the new proposal being submitted to FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) for the operation of the dam.
Overall, I thought it was a positive meeting with not a lot of controversy.
Ameren is installing a new net across the generation part of the dam to protect the spoonbill population. They are also changing the blades in the generators to hollow blades to inject more oxygen into the water going into the river to help the fishery downstream. Because the water put through the generators is from the bottom of the lake, it is very low in oxygen and the idea is that this will be a big benefit to the river fish.
The most important item for most Lake of the Ozarks home owners is dock encapsulation. Jeff assured us that Ameren is serious about enforcing the deadline on getting docks encapsulated. Asked how it would be enforced, the answer was that 30 days past the deadline, the unencapsulated dock permit will be suspended, 60 days past the deadline the permit will be revoked and past that, the dock will be removed by Ameren. This would greatly affect the value of the lakefront property if the dock permit is revoked. As, I would imagine, to re-issue the permit, fines and removal expenses would have to be paid.
I encourage all owners of non-encapsulated docks at Lake of the Ozarks to proceed immediately in getting your dock switched to encapsulated foam. As we get close to the December 31, 2008 deadline, prices will, with out a doubt, rise and there will be waiting lists. If you need help in finding someone to do this for you, feel free in giving us a call or email. Toll Free at 1-888-DONNA-66