News Release No. 042

WATER QUALITY EFFORT ALONG BLACK RIVER REDUCES TURBIDITY, IMPROVES CLARITY
Missouri Department of Natural Resources overseeing process

Volume 34-042

Contact: Connie Patterson

(For immediate release)

573-751-1010

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, FEB. 3, 2006 -- Efforts to improve the water quality in the Black River are going as expected, and there has been a noticeable improvement to the water’s clarity, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The agency is hopeful that AmerenUE’s efforts to remove suspended clay from the Black River will be successful.

To reduce the level of turbidity, or cloudiness in the water, AmerenUE began adding chemicals to the Lower Taum Sauk Reservoir on Jan. 25. The Department of Natural Resources was on site during the process.

Over a three-day period, AmerenUE added approximately 70,000 gallons of alum and about 30,000 gallons of sodium aluminate to the lower reservoir. Alum and sodium aluminate are common flocculents, a type of chemical that causes suspended particles to settle out of water. These flocculents are commonly used in the drinking water and wastewater industries and in situations where the cleanup of suspended sediment is needed.

To ensure the greatest reaction time for the chemicals, the flow of the water being discharged from the lower reservoir was slowed down. At first, following treatment, no noticeable differences were visible. However, by Friday, Jan. 27, the cloudiness of the water in the reservoir began to decrease. By Saturday, Jan. 28, most of the readings within the reservoir were at or below the target level.
The Department of Natural Resources continues to work to prevent more sediment from flushing downstream of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. Suspended sediment and clay are environmental concerns because of potential impacts on water quality. They can change the environment of the stream, which can affect aquatic life in the stream. Protecting aquatic life is one aspect of the Department of Natural Resources’ mission.

The lower reservoir caught much of the sediment from the park when the Taum Sauk Reservoir failed, sending 1.3 billion gallons of water rushing through the park and nearby property. The Department of Natural Resources will hold its third public meeting in Lesterville on Feb. 9 to answer questions and to give citizens in the area an opportunity to provide input. The department will continue to hold these public meetings on a regular basis as the project moves forward.

The state of Missouri has no regulatory oversight of the reservoir, which is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but remains involved in the oversight of recovery efforts. The Department of Natural Resources is committed to having some services available at the park by this summer.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department’s upcoming events, meetings and hearings, visit our online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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