Lakes and rivers across the seven-county area will be open for the Memorial Day holiday, even if some beaches and boat ramps are expected to remain underwater into June and July.
Campgrounds and a limited number of water access points are available, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wappapello and Clearwater, as well as national and state parks.
"(Clearwater) Lake is open. All the parks are open," project manager Randy Devenport said Tuesday afternoon.
Following record flooding, the water stopped crossing the overflow spillway May 16 and has fallen about 5 feet in the last two weeks, Devenport said.
Sites are available at all five campgrounds, although there are sections within each that remain closed due to high water or damages, he said.
Wappapello Lake dropped almost a foot on Monday. The Redman recreation area and boat ramp opened Tuesday, said project manager Cindy Jackson. Campsites are available at Redman Creek east and west and Peoples Creek upper.
The beaches at Wappapello are not expected to come out of the water until mid to late June, depending on how much more rain falls before that time, Jackson said.
It could be early July for Clearwater, according to Devenport. The lake was at 563.32 feet as of this morning, but the first beach won't be seen until an elevation of 535 feet, he said.
Wappapello was at 382.31 feet today, and has to fall to at least 377 feet before beaches begin coming out of the water, Jackson said.
Both lakes have extremely limited boat launching from some roads or parking lots.
"We want (boaters) to be careful. With the high lake that we have, there are going to be underwater obstacles, underwater hazards and we don't want to see them hurt," Devenport said.
Both project managers also asked that people be patient at boat access points.
"We just ask people to bring only the vehicles they really need. It's going to be very congested and very limited," Devenport said.
State parks
Both Sam A. Baker and Wappapello state parks have campsites open.
Lake Wappapello State Park has sites available at Ridge Campground and the public has been launching boats from a parking lot, but the space is extremely limited.
Campground 2 is open at Sam A. Baker and staff hopes to open Campground 1 by Friday.
A boat ramp is open at Baker, as well as day use picnic shelters, bike and handicap accessible trails, Fire Tower Road, Shut-Ins Trail, Campground 2 shower house, Big Creek access behind the visitor center and all concession services.
Areas that remain closed are the Mudlick Hollow area, an access trail from the Equestrian Campground, the shower house at Campground 1 and the Visitor Center.
Riverways
The following campgrounds are open at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways: Rymers, Logyard, Round Spring and Pulltite.
River Access is available on the upper Current for floating from Tan Vat to Round Spring, according to the National Park Service.
The Jacks Fork River is open for floating from Buck Hollow to the Alley Spring boat launch, but closed from Alley boat launch to Two Rivers until safety hazards can be mitigated.
The lower Current River has been opened for power boating but closed to floating due to persistent high water.
Launch Areas are available at Tan Vat, Baptist, Cedar Grove, Akers, Pulltite, Round Spring, Buck Hollow, Rymers, Alley and Big Spring.
The Alley Mill parking area and grounds around Alley Mill and Storys Creek school are open, but the mill building remains closed, as are rest rooms. Chemical toilets are available. Burr Oak pavilion and picnic area are closed due to damage and debris. All hiking trails are closed due to hazardous conditions.
Devils Well, Rocky Falls and Klepzig Mill have opened for day use and picnicking. Cave Spring trail will be open for hiking, and the vault toilet will be open.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain National Forest expects to have reopened 34 of 43 damaged sites by Memorial Day weekend.
More than 150 personnel were assigned to the effort at the height of the recovery work, according to the forest service.
The Float Camp day use area is among the most recent sites to open.
Areas that remain closed include Watercress at Van Buren, the Float Camp campground on the Current River and Bay Nothing on the Current River.