Table Rock Lake turning green: Chlorophyll appears to be cause

BY PAM SOETAERT

After more than 30 years, a program which has monitored algae, phosphorus, nitrogen, along with cyanotoxins among seven other data points, across lakes in the Show Me State is losing its funding. The funding has been pulled at a time when Table Rock Lake is showing an alarming trend in the increase in the amount of chlorophyll.

COLLECTION: Volunteers with the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program recently met in Kimberling City to gather test equipment for the 2026 program season. Pictured with LMVP Director Tony Thorpe are local Shell Knob site testers Sandi Schultz, and Greg and Cindy Konrardy. (Photo by Pam Soetaert)

"Our data from the James River arm of Table Rock, near Aunt's Creek shows algae (chlorophyll) is increasing, roughly doubling in the 30 years we have monitored that site," said Tony Thorpe. Thorpe is the program manager for the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program through the University of Missouri, Columbia facility. 

The funding for the LMVP has come through the Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, a 319 Program, a federal program which has been slashed due to administrative changes. The funding in the past has provided for 1.8 full-time positions and five part-time laboratory technicians during the six months the samples are collected. The university has covered the overhead, lights and lab facilities for the program.

The cost for the collection kits used by the volunteers at the sites across the 42 lakes in the statewide program is appropriately $500 per site. In addition to TRL, other area lakes monitored by LMVP include Taneycomo, Bull Shoals, as well as Lake Springfield. 

Recently local volunteers of this elite program met in Kimberling City to go over last year's results and to pick up supplies for the upcoming collection season. About 20 sites on Table Rock are currently monitored around the lake. Many volunteers test multiple locations. However, more volunteers are needed to collect data at additional sites, according to Thorpe.

"We especially need volunteers in the Shell Knob, Eagle Rock, James River, Long Creek sites and at the dam area," Thorpe said.

The most striking results revealed at the meeting in Kimberling City was TRL (in the Aunt’s Creek Arm) has seen a decrease in water clarity equal to 1.2 inches per year since testing at the site began in 1996. This equated to a three-foot decrease in clarity since the sampling program began at that location. Most other sites at TRL have seen a decrease in water clarity, but not as dramatic as the Aunt's Creek location.

"This is not acceptable," stated Candi Lordo, Branson West. "Without this program we wouldn't know how things were changing. Every boater, every angler, everyone who lives in the Ozarks, needs to be aware of what is happening, and support this program!" Lordo was instrumental in bringing the LMVP to Table Rock, often sampling nine sites herself in the early years of the program. 

Volunteers collect samples from their assigned sights eight times, April through September, at three-week intervals using their own watercraft. They receive no compensation for their participation. The samples are processed in the volunteers’ homes. The Limnology Laboratory at UM then does the final testing and correlates the data. Research from this program has been used in numerous scientific journals, according to Thorpe.

Using the volunteer generated data, the program has documented water quality and patterns over time. Monitoring water clarity is a good way to track the things which make water turbid, according to Thorpe. In Missouri those things are usually algae and sediment. LMVP is not a regulatory entity. 

Since its inception in 1992 LMVP has focused on several key water quality issues, namely temperature, water clarity, nutrients (total phosphorus and total nitrogen) chlorophyll and suspended sediment. Additional tests have been added over the years which allows trends to be monitored over time. For example, tests for two algal toxins have been added recently. Thankfully, Table Rock doesn't currently have any issues with algal toxins, according to Thorpe.

"It's only by having the data we can find the answers to tomorrow's questions," Thorpe added.

The LMVP hosts an abundance of information about local lakes, lake ecology, water quality and water in general on its website: www.LMVP.org. Those interested in volunteering can also find information on the website. Donations are also needed to keep the program operational and secure the future of the program.