Site work began on Bagnell Dam on August 6, 1929 by the Union Electric Company and the engineering company of Stone and Webster. The final cost reaching around 30 million, Bagnell Dam was the last and yet also largest major dam to be built in the United States with only private capital. Over the course of construction, some 4600 workers were employed at one time with a total of 20,500 workers overall during the two years. The land around the dam and lake area before construction was very sparcely populated with most being settlers from earlier times. The project was divided into three catorgories with the first being the building of the dormitories and mess halls for their workers, railroads, and roads. What followed with the site building was a jail, concrete plant, hospital, and a conmissary. Transmission lines were a factor with where to put them to carry the electricity to other areas being the second phase. The third, mapping, land surveying and location of the reservoir being the third. In February of 31', the Osage River was blocked and the lake began to fill. The Lake of the Ozarks was opened to travel in May of 31'. The reservoir totals 92 square miles or 58000 acres.

The dam being 2543 feet long, consists of a 511 foot long power station, a 520 foot long spillway section and two retaining non-overflow sections.

Today the lake covers 57000 acres, impounds 617 billion gallons of water, and has many thousands of tourists each year thanks to Bagnell Dam.

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