Most of the campgrounds at Alley Springs will be closed early next week while construction of a new shower house is completed.
There are currently no showers at this Ozark National Scenic Riverways recreation area, and no bathrooms with running water, following severe flooding at the end of April and in early May.
A new shower house had been planned prior to the flooding, which destroyed the old shower house, said Dena Matteson, chief of interpretation, planning and partnerships.
It is fortunate this work was already planned, she said.
"We have portable toilets in every loop, and those will likely remain in place for the rest of this season," Matteson added. "We're trying to determine if we can reopen any of the severely damaged restrooms there, even for a short term."
The numbers 100 and 200 campgrounds at Alley will remain open during the installation of the shower house, which is a pre-fabricated concrete structure.
It will be assembled on-site, requiring heavy equipment, Matteson said.
This type of building is durable and good for long-term use in areas prone to flooding, she said.
The remainder of the campground is expected to re-open Wednesday evening, after work is complete.
National Park Service staff also expect to make more decisions next week on how to proceed with the remainder of flood cleanup across the park, according to Matteson.
"We've made quite a bit of progress, but there are still areas that have yet to open," she said.
Big Spring campground is still completely closed, as is Powder Mill Campground and river access, Matteson said.
Pin Oak Campground, a back country campground outside of Van Buren, Mo., was severely damaged and is unlikely to re-open this year.
A number of primitive sites along the river haven't been re-opened because they were heavily damaged, Matteson said.
The Pulltite Visitor Center remains closed, as is the Powder Mill Research Center and the Shawnee Shop Maintenance Facility.
The future of these sites are among the topics to be discussed, she said.