INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS
The Lake West Chamber of Commerce is proud to call this area home and feel fortunate to live work and play in this unique location. We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know some fun facts about this area, how it came to be a year-round destination and why it is a great place to live!
- Bagnell Dam was built from 1929 – 1931 and provided thousands of jobs for workers during the Great Depression.
- The cost of building the Dam was estimated at $30 million, which in today’s market would be equivalent to more than $360 million dollars!
- Its original purpose was to supply electricity to customers of Union Electric but quickly became a tourist destination.
- When opened, 1,212,000 gallons of water can pass through the floodgates of Bagnell Dam in a single second.
- Upon its completion in 1931, it was the largest man-made lake in the United States. With more than 1,150 miles, the Lake has more shoreline than the state of California.
- At its deepest, the Lake of the Ozarks is 130 feet deep, and the surface of the lake covers approximately 61,000 square miles.
- With tremendous growth and development over the last 20 years, the Lake of the Ozarks has a population of more than 92,551 permanent residents.
- Of the population of folks who own two homes, 40% of those second homes are at the Lake of the Ozarks.
- There are over 70,000 homes along the lake, and more than 5 million people visit every year.
- With its premier golf courses, parks and recreation, caves, shopping and water sport opportunities, the Lake of the Ozarks has become the go-to vacation destination year-round.
- With the Lake’s serpentine shape, it has been nicknamed “Puff The Magic Dragon, which has inspired the names of local places and events, most notably The Magic Dragon Street Meet that happens every Spring in the month of May.
- The Lake of the Ozarks is also home to Party Cove which has been dubbed the “oldest established permanent floating bacchanal in the country” by a writer for the New York Times.
Although the Lake of the Ozarks is known as a travel destination, it has also become the perfect place to relocate, start a family and start a business. The continuing growth and development of our Lake West Community provide a wealth of opportunities to turn your dreams of starting and operating your own business into a reality. The Lake West Chamber of Commerce is proud to support our growing community and would love the opportunity to introduce you to our area and discover how membership in our Chamber of Commerce can benefit you in a number of ways, both personally and professionally.
Stop by or visit our website for information on the Lake West Chamber of Commerce, and all that our community has to offer!
Building a stronger economy and a better business community since 1987.
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