Inside Bagnell Dam

Photo courtesy of Nathan Bechtold

During a once-in-a-lifetime upgrade, Ameren invited a few of us inside the dam for a rare sight.

by Nathan Bechtold

Bagnell Dam, which creates Lake of the Ozarks by impounding the Osage River, is creeping up on its 100th birthday. And in 2025 Ameren — the utility company that owns the dam — finished replacing some of the dam’s most critical components: turbines that have been there ever since the dam was completed in 1933.

The purpose of the dam was to create a lake for recreation but also to generate power. To that end, inside the dam are eight turbines, which can generate up to 174 megawatts when the dam is running at full speed. Each year the dam generates enough electricity to power approximately 42,000 homes.

Invited for a rare opportunity to explore the dam behind the security fences, I stroll along the main service deck. Each turbine sits at the bottom ofa giant cylindrical chasm. Normally a cover sits on the top of each shaft, but during the replacement process, the pits remain uncovered, surrounded by railing. I lean over the rail, looking down into those chasms. They feel like the perfect setting for a Bond-movie fight scene; a villain is definitely falling into one of those things.

But 007 is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Bagnell Dam Director of Hydro Operations Bradley Todd stands near the turbine pits, explaining the details of the process to this small group that was given exclusive access to the area. For decades, Ameren offered these kinds of facility tours to the public, but that all changed with 9/11. Now, this kind of opportunity is reserved for dam employees and occasional exclusive events like this one.

Photo courtesy of Missouri State Archives_photo circa 1955

Ameren had already replaced six of the eight turbines in recent years; one of the old ones can be seen at the Bagnell Dam Overlook on the Strip, and another is on display at the park-like overlook area above the dam. So this final work replaced the two remaining turbines that were part of the original build in 1933. One turbine will be put on exhibit. The other? Scrapped. Nobody wants it.