At the prompting of U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to hold a public meeting on Thursday, March 10, to discuss the impact of the Osage River reservoir and dam operations on river communities in the 9^th Congressional District.

The meeting, which Luetkemeyer requested earlier this month in a letter to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander of the Kansas City District Col. Anthony Hoffman, will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Rhineland Volunteer Fire Department located at 110 Lewis Street.

“I believe there is a need for discussions between hard-working river communities and the Corps of Engineers regarding the annual reservoir operations and forecasted releases for the coming year, and this meeting will help all sides of the issue create a stronger relationship regarding crucial decisions made during flood events,” Luetkemeyer said. “This meeting will provide folks with an excellent opportunity to gather information and ask questions.”

The 9^th Congressional District includes the free-flowing Osage River below Bagnell Dam at the Lake of the Ozarks and the Missouri River from the Osage River confluence to just west of the City of St. Charles.  These downstream areas are often inundated with high releases from Harry S. Truman & Lake of the Ozarks reservoirs which often result in relief requests from the affected areas. 

Luetkemeyer continues to work on many important river issues including channel and stream bank degradation, flood protection, navigation, and habitat preservation. In January he was named second vice president of the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association, furthering his ability to serve as a critical voice for Missouri’s river communities on national issues including flood control, bank stabilization, navigation, and major drainage problems. The Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association is made up of levee and drainage districts, harbor and port commissions, states, cities and towns, and other agencies and individuals from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

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