Shell Knob Bridge and 1959 200mw Table Rock Dam on White River near Branson, MO

Bridge: (Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Dam: (Satellite)

Auxiliary Spillway: (Satellite) It is not clear what the path of the water would be to the river if this spillway had to be used.

1 of 9 photos posted by Missouri's Historic Highways
September 25, 1960 – The $1.5 million Shell Knob Bridge over Table Rock Lake was dedicated.
Frank Galvan: Even with the lake this low it’s 97’ deep under the bridge we take our boat to the Pizza Hut that’s accessible by the bridge which is only about 10-15 minute boat ride from our new place in golden.
Steve Ames: Frank Galvan I've seen the lake touching the bottom of the bridge.

Casey Jones, Sep 2017, cropped

 

USACE
The maximum height of the dam is 252'. The length is over a mile with a concrete section of 1602'.
"Table Rock Dam’s spillway capacity was evaluated as a result of a dam safety program in the 1990’s. Using improved weather data and more modern technology and safety requirements, engineers determined that the lake would rise ten feet higher during the worst-case flood than previously calculated. An event of this magnitude would overtop the earthen embankment and destroy Table Rock Dam with catastrophic losses in downstream areas including Branson. To prevent the potential loss of life and property damages, congress approved and authorized construction of the Dam Safety Project. After considering several options and gathering considerable public input, an auxiliary spillway was determined to be the best solution. The auxiliary spillway was completed in 2005 at a cost of [about] $65,000,000.
"Table Rock Lake provides a storage capacity of 3,462,000 acre-feet, of which 760,000 are for flood-control and 2,702,000 are for generation of power. The flood control storage is equivalent to a depth of 3.5 inches of water over the entire contributing drainage area above the dam, 4020 square miles. At the top of flood control pool the lake has a surface area of 52,300 acres and a shoreline of 857 miles. The full conservation pool covers an area of 43,100 acres and has a shoreline of 745 miles."

BetterBranson
"Table Rock Dam is 6423 feet [1958m] long and comprises of a solid area 1602 feet [488m] long and two earth dike areas having a length of 4821 feet [1469]. The dam rises 252 feet [79m] over the riverbed, contains 1,230,000 cubic yards of concrete and 3,320,000 cubic yards of bank. Four 18 foot [5.5m] width penstocks pass on water to four 50,000 kilowatt producing units in the powerhouse. The initial two units were prepared for age of intensity in June 1959, and establishment of units three and four was finished in August 1961."
[This page has a 0:57 drone vide of the dam.]

Jennifer Ware, Apr 2022, cropped

It looks like 2022 was a wet year.

Andrew Sikes, May 2022, cropped

3rd of 30 photos in news-leader, Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader

branson.com and BetterBranson

branson.com

SueAndersonRealty
A flood in the Spring of 1957 inundated the old bridge before they were able to remove it. The lake filled in three days even though the experts predicted three years. "The massive amount of water went over the center destroying forms and equipment and delayed the completion of the dam for 1 year."

A helper spillway was added in 2005 with a cost of $65m. [BetterBronson]

Satellite

1:15 video @ 0:47
Table Rock Dam gates open