By KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Ameren announced plans this morning (Thursday) to drain a reservoir in southeast Missouri so it can remove sediment that's been muddying up the Black River.
The move is part of the clean-up effort after a breach in the Taum Sauk Upper Reservoir last year. A billion gallons of water damaged the Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park and the Black River.
Earlier this year, the lower reservoir was treated with chemicals to help clean it up but now it will be drained to get exposed sediment out. The work will take three to five months.
The reservoir will be drained to its lowest possible level; during the few days it takes to drain it, levels in the East Fork of the Black River will likely rise.