Army Joins the Forces Combating Wildness at Party Cove, Lake of the Ozarks

The latest blow towards ending the revelry at Party Cove has come from the Commanding General of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. On August 8, 2007, Major General Bill McCoy issued an "Off Limits" order prohibiting military personnel assigned to or training at the post from going to "Party Cove" at the Lake of the Ozarks. The ban comes in response to a broken neck injury of a soldier and the drowning deaths of a Fort Wood 2^nd Lieutenant and a civilian employee in separate incidents earlier in the summer.

Party Cove has existed at various locations on the Lake of the Ozarks since the 1960s. The floating armada has formed on summer weekends in Anderson Hallow Cove at the lake for the past several years. The reputation of Party Cove as the nation's wildest summer celebration draws visitors from all around the United States.

The "Off Limits" designation is the most recent action taken by area governmental authorities to quash the festivities at Party Cove at the Lake of the Ozarks. The Missouri Water Patrol issued a press release in early July detailing increased enforcement for Anderson Hollow Cove, also known as "Party Cove," at the four mile marker of the Grand Glaize Arm of Lake of the Ozarks. The Water Patrol indicated that there was to be a "zero tolerance" for activities such as illegal drug usage or sexual misconduct.

The Water Patrol was assisted by other Missouri agencies, local law enforcement and the United States Coast Guard during the Independence Day holiday. The focus of the crack down was on the lewd behavior prevalent at Party Cove. The party was suppressed but not crushed. The carousing and revelry has continued despite the efforts of authorities. The party participants have found ways to keep the merrymaking legal - or at least, concealed illegal acts.

Much of what attracts crowds to Party Cove has nothing to do with illegal drugs or public sexual acts. It is about consuming vast quantities of alcoholic beverages, turning an area into a floating village with a rowdy populace, being among friends and meeting congenial strangers. It is about seeing people and being seen.