U.S. Water News Online
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Low water levels kept Doug Goldsmith from launching his boat at Lake Travis last year. This year, he still couldn't put his boat in the water -- because the levels were so high.
"The ramp was completely submerged," the Dripping Springs boater said of his attempt to put his craft Lake Travis' north end a few weeks ago.
Flooding at some lakes and parks spells trouble for recreation heading into the long Labor Day weekend, as well as lakeside businesses. More than half -- 46 of the 77 lakes monitored by the Texas Water Development Board -- were full or over capacity, according to figures from the board's July report.
"The lake levels have come up so fast, it's amazing," said Barney Austin, director of surface water for the board. "It's been nothing short of spectacular."
Last year at this time, those 77 lakes, which make up 98 percent of the state's stored capacity and serve scores of municipalities, were at three-quarters capacity. This year, they were at 93 percent capacity by end of July.
Texas had its 20th driest January-to-July in 2006. This year, that same span was the wettest ever recorded, with a statewide average of 27.11 inches. That's nearly 11 inches above the norm. The previous record for the first seven months came in 1941.
The board's July report showed stream flows at 22 of its 29 reporting stations across the state were "very high" or "high."
Still, there are some parts of the state where lakes and reservoirs haven't received enough rainfall in their watersheds to wipe out losses from nearly two years of drought. The High Plains, Low Rolling Plains, Edwards Plateau and the Trans-Pecos region remain short, according to the board's report.
But Tropical Storm Erin's soaking rains in the Edwards Plateau a couple of weeks ago helped levels of some of the regions lakes.
Lake Meredith in the Panhandle, the source of drinking water for 11 communities in West Texas, however, reached a record low, 53.51 feet.
Though the region is way ahead on rainfall for the year, storms have missed the lake's watersheds. Fortunately, the water entity overseeing customer cities' supplies can draw from groundwater wells, though at a higher cost.
Rains across the state this year brought a respite from a decade-long drought that Texas officials declared ended in late July.
But the unusual rainfall statewide forced the closure of facilities in June and July of many lakes and parks the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees. Lake Belton and StillHouse Hollow Lake in Central Texas were hit hard.
Floodwaters damaged boat ramps, restrooms, and picnic and camping areas of many corps lakes and the cost to repair them will be "easily in the millions of dollars," Michael Owen, a recreation resource specialist in the corps Fort Worth office, said.
"The rainfall this year has been extremely hard on our facilities," he said. "We can't get rid of (the water) as fast as it comes in."
Texans heading to lakes were encouraged to call ahead for facilities' closures. Visitations because of flood conditions probably lowered usage by as much as 30 percent in the 25 lakes in the corps' Fort Worth district, Owen said.
The district normally led the nation's 40 corps districts in fee revenue.
"This year I suspect we are probably going to lose that position," Owen said. "On the flip side, we're going to be spending a lot of money, if we can get it, to clean things up."
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