Benton County residents were excited to learn of the possibility of the Harry Truman Visitors’ Center staying open all year at a meeting on November 22, with U.S. Representative Mark Alford and several members of the Truman Lake U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff.
Completed in 1977, he Harry S. Truman Regional Visitor Center is one of only a handful of Class A visitors’ centers in the United States. Sitting atop Kaysinger Bluff, the facility provides a spectacular view of Truman Dam and Reservoir. Exhibits within the Visitors’ Center provide information about the rich history of the Osage River Valley from pre-civilization to modern day. Waterfowl, bald eagles and turkey vultures can routinely be observed from the observation deck.
Clint Mason, Branch Chief from the Kansas City District, addressed a group of concerned citizens at the meeting and offered some possible solutions to the problem of how to keep the Visitors’ Center open throughout the year.
One solution was to remodel the Visitors’ Center and construct 18 work stations so all of the Truman Dam staff could be together in the building. If this were to happen, the current administration building and the two houses behind the building would be abandoned and possibly demolished.
“We currently have offices in the Administration Building across the lake from the Visitors’ Center,” said Mason. “We also are currently using the two houses behind the Administration Building for offices. These houses were built for living quarters for Corps employees, but they have been converted into office spaces. These houses were built in the 70's and are in need of repair. After a feasibility study in December, costing approximately $270,000, Col. Travis Rayfield, the District Kansas City Commander, will make the final decision on whether or not the three current buildings will be torn down and the Visitors’ Center will become the main office for employees of Truman Dam and Reservoir.”
If the plan is approved, the land where the present administration office sits could be used by the City of Warsaw for campgrounds or other recreational venues.
“We need to remember that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not the enemy,” said Alford. “We need to work together to solve the problem of maintaining the Visitors’ Center and keeping the cost of maintenance down.”
One concerned citizen questioned why the electricity generated by Truman Dam wasn’t being used locally to operate the Visitors’ Center.
“The Department of Energy is in charge of distributing the energy generated by Truman Dam,” said Mason. “Currently that energy goes to Springfield utilities, southern Missouri and Oklahoma. Electricity for the Visitors’ Center runs about $2,000 a month.”
Another Benton County resident questioned why the Corps of Engineers didn’t charge a fee to tour the Visitors’ Center to help with the cost of maintaining the Center.
“We are not allowed by the U. S. government to charge a fee at the Visitors’ Center,” said Mason.
Mason went on to point out that the Truman Visitors’ Center itself was in need of repair.
“We replaced the roof ten years ago and windows have been replaced several times,” said Mason. “The carpet needs to be replaced but we are waiting to see how extensive the remodel will be. We don’t want to replace the carpet and then tear it out for the remodel. There are also plans to update the theater room where we are sitting.”
If the Visitors’ Center is remodeled, some of the exhibits will have to go because the work stations will take up some of the present exhibit space. The plan is to keep the viewing area available for the public and if this happens then visitors will be able to go into the center throughout the week as the staff will be working there.
Presently, the Visitors’ Center is only open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on Mondays following a holiday from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM from April until September. In addition to the regular summer operation of the Visitors’ Center, the area is open during Heritage Days and the Kaysinger Christmas celebration.
For more information on the possibility of the remodel of the Truman Dam Visitors’ Center remodel, citizens may contact U.S. Rep. Mark Alford at (816) 739-4097 or Bradly Wright, Lake Manager, at (417) 298-2015.
