The towering concrete at Table Rock Dam may be an afterthought to many.
You might drive over it on your way to Moonshine Beach or visit the overlook nearby when some, if not all, the tainter gates were opened.
The lake provides hydropower and recreation opportunities for millions of visitors to southwest Missouri and the 745 miles of shoreline provides several places to cool off, especially with the historic heat wave the Ozarks is currently experiencing.
At the end of the day, though, the dam's No. 1 goal is and always was about flood risk reduction.