BRANSON, Mo.–There’s a battle going on between residents of Table Rock Lake and the Army Corps of Engineers. It has to do with how homeowners can use public property around the lake. 

It’s all part of the Army Corps of Engineers proposed Table Rock Shoreline Management Plan.

 The Corps says its putting a plan in place to comply with federal regulations, but some people are fed up with being told how to manage their property

Bill Walker is one of those residents. For the past two years, he’s been fighting with the Corps about something as simple as mowing his lawn.

 “We’ve owned the place since 1991. We’ve kept this looking like a golf course. This is what it used to look like over here on the right and then the Corps two years ago told me if I didn’t quit cutting the grass in front of our dock, they’d pull my dock permit,” says Walker. 

What typically is a sign of good yard upkeep has possibly turned into a violation for Table Rock homeowners like Bill walker according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

 “If they have their home that is right up to the government boundary line, they can mow 200 feet from that structure onto federal property,” says Dana Coburn of the Army Corps of Engineers. 

For Bill, there’s only one problem with that….

“Our lot goes 350 feet from my house and on this side, it goes right at 200 feet so if I cut across like that, we’re going to have weeds in our backyard,” says Walker. 

So what’s the big deal about Bill cutting his grass?

 “They’re telling us that the weeds purify the water going into the ground for the ground water. That doesn’t seem exactly right to me because that’s not their ground, that’s the tax payer’s ground, they are merely the caretakers,” says Walker. 

And regulating how residents keep their lawn isn’t the only part of the Army Corp’s proposed Table Rock Shoreline Management Plan, it’s also being proposed that by 2027, boat docks be powered by an alternative electricity source like solar panels.

“It does apply to all new docks and it will apply to existing docks. As a federal agency we’ve been asked to lead the way in promoting efficient and affective sustainable and renewable energy power source,” says Coburn. 

Residents will have the chance to address their issues with the Army Corps on Tuesday at the Shell Knob Central Community United Methodist Church.