Reservoirs

Staff Directory

  1. Zac Johnson

    Utilities Director/Assistant City Manager
    zjohnson@cameronmo.com
    More Information

  MDC’s Fishery Management Plans 

  1. Century Reservoir Fishery Management Plan FY22-24
  2. Eagle Reservoir Fishery Management Plan FY22-24
  3. Sunrise Reservoir Fishery Management Plan FY22-24
  4. Grindstone Reservoir Fishery Management Plan FY22-24

Cameron Watershed

The Cameron watershed consists of 16,671 acres of land that drains into four reservoirs, supplying drinking water to roughly 12,500 people including the City of Cameron, two correctional facilities, and Public Water Supply District #3 (DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District).

Reservoir Storage Capacity

Reservoir

Acreage

Capacity
Century Lake (#1)

16.6 acres

103.1acre-feet - 33,595,238 gallons
Sunrise Lake (#2)

31.8 acres

319.6 acre-feet - 104,141,980 gallons
Eagle Lake (#3)

93.5 acres

938.1 acre-feet - 305,680,823 gallons
Grindstone Lake

197.3 acres

2019 acre-feet - 657,893,169 gallons

Recreation

No Firearms, Archery Hunting  or Trapping Allowed on Cameron Reservoirs Century Lake #1, Sunrise Lake #2, or Eagle Lake #3. However,
Grindstone Lake does allow archery hunting.  This area follows all of the same rules of Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Code Chapter 11 (Link on this page to Code 11).  Firearms waterfowl hunting is allowed on Grindstone Reservoir during applicable seasons.  For fishing and recreational information, use the Missouri Department of Conservation links below for each of the Cameron Reservoirs:

How the Reservoirs Work

Water from Reservoir #1 and #2 drains into Reservoir #3. Water is withdrawn from Reservoir #3 for treatment.

Water from Reservoir #1, the smallest of the four reservoirs, was constructed in 1905 using horses and scrapers. It was the original Cameron water supply and was first stocked with fish in 1913. Work Progress Administration (WPA) funds were used to construct Reservoir #2 in 1939 and it was first stocked with fish in 1940. Reservoir #3 was constructed in 1961 and is used as the main source of water for the City.

Grindstone Reservoir, which was constructed for flood control and as a water supply source by the City of Cameron and the U.S. Soil Conservation Agency, was completed in 1991 and filled to capacity in 1992. This reservoir, when full, had a surface area of approximately 176 acres with a drainage area of 21 square miles.

In 2005, the Grindstone principle spillway was raised three feet. Now when full, Grindstone has a surface area of 208 acres. By raising the principle spillway, the City gained a 48% increase in usable water from this reservoir. Having its own intake pumps, water can be pumped to Reservoir #3 or to the treatment plant. This feature has been very advantageous for the City. The ice storm in 1994 caused electrical outages and required the City to use the Grindstone pump house to pump water to the treatment plant because Reservoir #3 pump house could not be used.