Prior to 2010, lake boundaries were drawn using historical criteria that tended to follow existing boundaries which resulted in approximately 5,800 acres of land being included in the lake acquisition boundary. In 2010 the team reviewed the boundary setting requirements to determine if less land could be acquired to reduce acquisition costs and to increase the value of the remaining property by keeping the boundary closer to the lake. This resulted in the development of a Land Acquisition Selection Strategy which can be seen here.
The minimum requirements dictated by the various agencies are:
- Control all property below top of dam elevation (NRCS).
- Purchase all land within 100 feet of the lake (DNR).
Boundary lines were drawn to meet these minimum requirements and to provide space for access to the reservoir. Because property boundaries based strictly on these rules would be impossible, simpler lines were drawn to meet these minimum requirements.
The North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission makes every effort to ensure property owners can continue to use their remaining land. It is incumbent on the Commission to build fence along the new property boundary. The Commission’s Fencing Policy is intended to provide a fair approach to compensating land owners for the necessary fence construction to keep livestock out of the reservoir and to maintain the value of our neighbor’s land.
Similar to fencing, if the acquisition to land cuts off the existing agricultural water supply, the Commission will assist will development of replacement water sources as deemed appropriate.
As part of the land acquisition process, environmental assessments were conducted on each parcel prior to acquisition. Assessments were conducted to determine whether properties contained environmental threats. In no cases were any significant threats found; however, the environmental reports provided a list of items to be removed and/or remediated prior to lake construction. Typical items found included: buildings with asbestos and household hazardous wastes and tires, burn barrels, propane tanks and other solid wastes.