SMITHVILLE, Mo. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Smithville Lake announce a two-foot drawdown starting early November in order to safely conduct maintenance repairs on the stilling basin.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts a two-foot drawdown bringing Smithville Lake to 862.20 mean sea level each December and hold it at that level through Apr. 15. This action will start a little sooner in 2020 to allow construction crews to work quickly and safely without the need to demobilize for spillway releases early in the project.
“Typically, we start this drawdown around Dec. 15th, but we’ll start a month or so early this year to install new wall drains at the stilling basin,” said Derek Dorsey, Smithville Lake Park Manager. “Wall drains allow any excess water to collect inside the drain and be transported back to the stilling basin. We anticipate the construction to start Dec. 1, 2020.”
A majority of the stilling basin will be closed for fishing during the construction process. The lake remote trail parking lot and a portion of the stilling basin parking lot will be closed.
Construction updates can be found online at www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Smithville-Lake/.
Release no. 20-123