Lake Niangua is a 360 acres (1.5 km²) hydroelectric lake in southern Camden County, Missouri

Camden County, Missouri

Camden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 37,051. Its county seat is Camdenton. The county was organized in 1841 as Kinderhook County and renamed in 1843, for Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, Chancellor of England, and leader of the Whig...

, USA, on the Niangua River

Niangua River

The Niangua River is a tributary of the Osage River in the Ozarks region of southern and central Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...

. The lake has a public access with a boat ramp and picnic area.

History of the Tunnel Dam

The site for the tunnel dam was chosen because a 500 feet (152.4 m) long cave was found that extended ridge separating the upper and lower bents of the river. In 1911, the cave was then modified so the river flowed through it during dam construction. There is usually no water running between the dam and the lake's powerhouse.

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectric engineers then placed a powerhouse at the upper end of the tunnel for hydroelectricity. In 1930, the powerhouse was moved to the lower end of the tunnel taking advantage of the 43 feet (13.1 m) drop. The powerhouse has two turbines. The hydroelectric equipment provides 3 megawatts of power for nearby residents.

Geography of the Lake

The lake is only a few feet deep so larger boats are not able to access this lake. To the north there is a steep ridge that is only a few hundred feet wide, this ridge makes the river go an extra four miles (6 km) between the dam and the powerhouse. The shoreline is almost entirely wooded around the lake.