is conducive to work progressing on many fronts at once and is partly responsible for the rapid initial progress in building the trail — 170 (275 km) miles within the first decade and over by 1991. In 2008, the mileage stands at over . As the route over contiguous public lands is completed further progress will likely be slowed by the arduous process of acquiring private land and easements. Volunteers formed the Ozark Trail Association in 2002 to work with the Ozark Trail Council to develop and maintain the Ozark Trail. The Ozark Trail was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2008 Damage Taum Sauk reservoir failure The upper reservoir of the Taum Sauk pumped storage plant failed in December 2005, causing a flood that devastated Johnson's Shut-ins State Park and destroyed a part of the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail at the shut-ins. The Ozark Trail Association and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources mapped out a new route to replace the damaged section, which was completed in mid-2009. May 2009 storms An unusually strong May 2009 windstorm devastated 44 miles of the trail within the Mark Twain National Forest, and all or parts of several sections of the Ozark Trail were closed because of downed trees. Within months several sections were repaired and reopened through the work of both volunteer and paid forest service crews. All access was eventually restored, though as of May, 2013, conditions on some sections of trail may be of concern to bikers or to those on horseback. See also The trail crosses parts of these public lands: Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River Johnson's Shut-ins State Park Mark Twain National Forest Onondaga Cave State Park Ozark National Scenic Riverways Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry Sam A. Baker State Park Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Bell Mountain Wilderness Area Devils Backbone Wilderness Area Numerous holdings of the Missouri Department of Conservation Notes External links Ozark Trail Association Missouri Department of Natural Resources Mark Twain National Forest trails, including the Ozark Trail. Trail Hiking trails in Missouri Protected areas of the U.S. Interior Highlands Protected areas of Butler County, Missouri Protected areas of Carter County, Missouri Protected areas of Crawford County, Missouri Protected areas of Douglas County, Missouri Protected areas of Howell County, Missouri Protected areas of Iron County, Missouri Long-distance trails in the United States Protected areas of Madison County, Missouri Protected