New Reservoir Lake Needed?

[lockmat]

I don't know much about the west side of town, does the Brazos River have a major reservoir? How about giving the west siders some water recreational activity?

...lake levels could drop below 190 feet twice in the next 40 years and levels could go below 199 feet 14 times during the same timeframe. Those dry spells could last 16 to 22 months. “At 190 feet, half of the volume of the lake is gone,” Davis said. “At 199 feet, most boat docks can’t be used.”

The regular level of the lake is 203 feet and during Hurricane Rita repairs, the lake level dropped to 197 feet.

While Lake Conroe was built as a water supply, it has evolved into a major hub for recreation and development. Because of the potential loss of revenue from water loss, a study could be used to petition the regional water authority for the Texas Water Board to begin planning new supplies for the future.

“This is a tool for Region H to study alternative sources of water to the aquifers,”

Among the alternate water sources that could be explored are building new lakes like Bedias Creek Reservoir in the Trinity River Basin or Lone Star Lake in Montgomery County, constructing a pipeline from Lake Livingston or use the underground brackish water supply.

Among the options are:

• Creating Bedias Creek Reservoir in the Trinity River Basin

• Creating Lone Star Lake in northwest Montgomery County

• Piping water from Lake Livingston

• Using the underground brackish water supply

“It takes 30 years to build a new lake,” Davis said.

http://www.ultimatewoodlands.com/2010/03/group-seeks-lake-conroe-impact-study

[TheNiche]

I don't know much about the west side of town, does the Brazos River have a major reservoir? How about giving the west siders some water recreational activity?

http://www.ultimatewoodlands.com/2010/03/group-seeks-lake-conroe-impact-study

A problem with much of the coastal plain is that impounded reservoirs tend to be small and shallow, just as is the case with Lake Houston, Lake Texana, or Coleto Creek Lake. Such lakes are OK for paddling or fishing, but with saltwater bays and estuaries so close by, what's the point? ...ultimately it's a municipal water supply or bust.

The west side will get a reservoir for those purposes however, located along Allen Creek. Like Lake Houston, it'll be a CoH facility.

[Fringe]

I don't know much about the west side of town, does the Brazos River have a major reservoir? How about giving the west siders some water recreational activity?

The only one I'm familiar with is Possum Kingdom Lake and that's way up by Fort Worth.  Although many towns use the water straight from the river, including Sugar Land. 

Brazos River Authority

[lockmat]

The only one I'm familiar with is Possum Kingdom Lake and that's way up by Fort Worth. Although many towns use the water straight from the river, including Sugar Land.

Brazos River Authority

After I posted, I also found Addicks and Barkers reservoirs...should of thought of it from the get-go. But like Niche says, it seems it's only use is really for fishing. http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Addicks/

[lockmat]

A problem with much of the coastal plain is that impounded reservoirs tend to be small and shallow, just as is the case with Lake Houston, Lake Texana, or Coleto Creek Lake. Such lakes are OK for paddling or fishing, but with saltwater bays and estuaries so close by, what's the point? ...ultimately it's a municipal water supply or bust.

The west side will get a reservoir for those purposes however, located along Allen Creek. Like Lake Houston, it'll be a CoH facility.

For my own sake: Def. of an impounded reservoir - "Upland reservoirs are commonly known as impounding reservoirs since they are built across river valleys." http://www.euwfd.com/html/lakes_and_reservoirs.html

Any idea why they decided to make Lake Conroe deeper than normal? It seems like making it more recreationally diverse would benefit the area, making it a destination. But maybe it's just way too expensive, too?

Also, here are some interesting facts:

Construction:

Started January , 1970 - completed January 1973

Cost:

$30,000,000

Filled:

October 31, 1973

Normal Pool:

Elevation 201.00 feet above mean sea level

Surface Area:

22,000 acres (5,000 acres in Sam Houston National Forest)

Capacity:

430,260 acre feet (140,200,651,000 gallons)

Average Depth:

20.5 feet

Evaporation:

Average annual - 48 inches (71 million gallons per day). Summer (115 million gallons per day). Winter (30 million gallons per day). Maximum (180 million gallons per day).

http://lakeconroe.com/about_lake_conroe.cfm

[TheNiche]

Lake Conroe is deep because the dam is in an area where flat land transitions to hills, and there is a river valley. Topography is the reason most dams are built precisely where they are.

[lockmat]

Lake Conroe is deep because the dam is in an area where flat land transitions to hills, and there is a river valley. Topography is the reason most dams are built precisely where they are.

I was kind of thinking something like that, and I think that explains all the trees sticking up out of the water.

I am not familiar with the other locations like Bedias Creek and Lone Star Lake. Are those in hilly areas?

And I guess this fact means a pleasure reservoir like Lake Conroe will not be made again in the Houston area.

[TheNiche]

I was kind of thinking something like that, and I think that explains all the trees sticking up out of the water.

I am not familiar with the other locations like Bedias Creek and Lone Star Lake. Are those in hilly areas?

And I guess this fact means a pleasure reservoir like Lake Conroe will not be made again in the Houston area.

Bedias Creek flows just a few miles to the south of Madisonville and enters the Trinity River to the east of Interstate 45, so that should give you an idea of where that lake would be. Lone Star Lake, as near as I can tell, already exists in Texas, and is nowhere near Montgomery County.

It does seem however that either of these lakes would be in hilly areas.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

If I remember correctly, something like 1/2 of all water from our reservoirs is used for lawn watering. And that's in addition to the 48" of rain we get per year.

We could save a lot of money and a huge amount of land from going under water if we just learned to more wisely use the water we already have. Conservation is much cheaper and less intrusive than continuing what we're doing today.

On the other hand, my parents would own waterfront property on Lake Bedias if Bedias Creek were impounded west of I-45, as planned. On the other other hand, a lot of families would lose property they've farmed and ranched for more than a century.

All so that we can have nice green St Augustine grass to look at in the middle of the summer. I guess people gotta have something to mow.

[ricco67]

If I remember correctly, something like 1/2 of all water from our reservoirs is used for lawn watering. And that's in addition to the 48" of rain we get per year.

We could save a lot of money and a huge amount of land from going under water if we just learned to more wisely use the water we already have. Conservation is much cheaper and less intrusive than continuing what we're doing today.

On the other hand, my parents would own waterfront property on Lake Bedias if Bedias Creek were impounded west of I-45, as planned. On the other other hand, a lot of families would lose property they've farmed and ranched for more than a century.

All so that we can have nice green St Augustine grass to look at in the middle of the summer. I guess people gotta have something to mow.

I think it's Phoenix, Arizona that has the toughest water usage regulations in the country. Some people here would call that VERY intrusive, but eventually, it would be needed.

We as society waste so much water it is mind boggling. I almost go into fits when multiple days of rain are in the forecast, but sprinklers are still left on during the downpour!

[TheNiche]

On the other hand, my parents would own waterfront property on Lake Bedias if Bedias Creek were impounded west of I-45, as planned.

Would it be west of 45? I got the sense from the article that it'd be closer to the Trinity River, which is a far ways east of I-45.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Would it be west of 45? I got the sense from the article that it'd be closer to the Trinity River, which is a far ways east of I-45.

I looked at the Master Plan a few months back, so I'm going from memory here, but...

The dam would be west of Hwy 75. Water would be backed up all the way west of Texas Hwy 90 (near Jozye) and almost all the way to Hwy 39 (near North Zulch).

Water would be piped from the Bedias Creek reservoir into a tributary of Lake Conroe...in other words, out of the Trinity River basin and into the San Jacinto River basin.