Thanks to recent rain events.

Lake Belton is up almost 5 feet since January, and will rise this week once that wall of water gets here from Hamilton. Still 7 feet below conservation, but this is fantastic news for the people of Bell and Coryell Counties that rely on Lake Belton for water. Things were looking really bad as of two weeks ago.

Stillhouse has not been as fortunate, up only slightly. Still 16 feet down, but should come up some this week. Lampasas basin just hasn't caught the break that the Leon has.

Georgetown up slightly but still in terrible shape, and Buchanan and Travis are 30 and 50 feet low respectively.

Lake Waco in great shape.

Basically, I guess the further south in central Texas you are, the less you've benefitted. Highland lakes are still hurting badly.

OK, end of weather geek post.











[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 2/19/2012 9:00a).]

Just a guess, but... with Travis and Buchanan, that probably has something to do with the LCRA and how they're managing it. Rainfall is certainly a factor but I know on the Colorado, there are about 5-6 dams in series. On the Brazos, I think Waco is about it. Lake Belton is still my personal favorite - so don't move there I don't want anybody running up the real estate prices before I get a chance to buy.

Buchanan and Travis are victims of the worst drought in history. Yeah they share water to some extent, but the primary cause of their condition is insufficient rain in the Colorado Basin above the Highland Lakes.

Actually, L. Waco is on the Bosque, I believe. The Bosque R. merges with the Brazos R., but the dam is above the fork, which is at Cameron Park in Waco.

Belton Lake is still VERY low, but it has beneffitted from 2 heavy events above Belton Dam, and below Lake Procter upstream. As of this morning, up about 5.5 feet since mid-January. Still a VERY long way to go. There is a wall of water on the Leon which has made it to Gatesville as of this morning which should raise the lake another foot or so later this week.

And you might be too late on cheap real estate. The new subdivisions going in up the hill from Temple Lake Park are already pricey.









[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 2/20/2012 7:39a).]

quote:

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And you might be too late on cheap real estate. The new subdivisions going in up the hill from Temple Lake Park are already pricey.

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friggin Belton ISD jacking up taxes.

Yeah, taxes are high I guess, but those lot prices are just high. I don't remember the name of the subdivision, but it's the one to left at the top of the hill as you head west on "Adams Avenue", aka "Lake Road" going to Temple Lake Park. There's also one on the other side of Adams that's been there for a few years. It's high too.







[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 2/20/2012 8:57a).]

Along buck lane? Have any of those lots sold?

Northcliffe is the neighborhood that faces the lake and is to the left of Adams. you can see them from Dead Fish.

The first time i ever came to Temple we ate dinner with the son and daughter in law of some people from our church back home and we went out there and were very impressed with the area. Prices were super cheap out there about 15 years ago. a couple o people i know bought and built for about 100k a few years back and could probably sell for >500k now.

cjags,
I'm talkin about a different subdivision. further west toward temple lake park. literally right before you decsend down the hill to the lake.

http://maps.google.com/?ll=31.123423,-97.486539&spn=0.028105,0.038581&t=m&z=15

here?

[This message has been edited by c-jags (edited 2/20/2012 1:52p).]

cjags,

yes. I was talking about Arrowhead Point area. I did not realize Arrowhead Point area was part of Northecliff, and that Northcliff went all the way through. Hey, now I know!

quote:

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Actually, L. Waco is on the Bosque, I believe. The Bosque R. merges with the Brazos R., but the dam is above the fork, which is at Cameron Park in Waco.

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South Bosque, Middle Bosque, don't forget Hog Creek Lake Waco feeds into the Brazos so, when all those folks in Waller get flooded, some of that water would come from Waco.

I keep forgetting that Lake Whitney is on the Brazos and just now, looking at Google Maps, I see that Lake Granbury and Possum Kingdom Lake are also on the Brazos. I never spent too much time thinking about what was upstream.

Waco Lake is on the Bosque River and is fed by the North, Middle and South Bosque and Hog Creek. Whitney Lake is the only flood control lake on the Brazos. Waco and Whitney are U.S. Army Corps of Engineer operated lakes and are flood control lakes. That is why they fluctuate so much. Possum Kingdom and Grandbury are constant level lakes operated by the Brazos River authority. They do not hold flood waters but pass it through.

Belton and Stillhouse are also flood control lakes operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Had forgot about this thread. Belton is at 591.4', which is still 3.6 below conservation pool level, but 8.5 feet above mid-January level, a HUGE improvemt. Recent rains plus heavy releases from Proctor have REALLY improved things for the Bell and Coryell County water supply. Still need more though, but it's a lot better than it was.

[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 3/1/2012 8:54p).]

594.00-591.40 is 2.6

http://wiid.twdb.state.tx.us/ims/resinfo/BushButton/lakeStatus.asp

yes, Buchanan and Travis, part of the seven Highland Lakes chain have suffered, as in the past when I lived there. They are the only two that were not a constant level lake, but used for flood control. I have seen Travis rise 28 feet overnight due to heavy rain in the Hill Country.

Part of the deal also, was water control by The Lower Colorado River Authority, www.lcra.org , to control water through Lake Travis' Mansfield Dam, Awstin's Miller Dam, and way down the river for the rice farmers and their industry.

Erac,
Yes it is. But my mistake was the 591.40

The actual figure was 590.40. The 3.6 difference was the correct difference, I just typed in the wrong current level.

Hopefully the past week has continued to help local lakes.

Indeed the rains did help. Not as much as the last one, but they did help. Lake Belton is at 592.29, which is 1.71 feet from conservation pool level, and over 10 feet higher than it was in mid-January. The Leon is still up at Hamilton, probably partly because they are releasing water from an already above-normal lake Procter, and partly from the rains. That water will get to Lake Belton soon, and I think Belton Lake will hit conservation pool level for the first time in a LOOOONNNNG time within a few days.

Yeah, there are probably very few geekier things to post about, or even care about. But this place was in a DANGEROUS situation with Lake Belton at record low levels and in real danger of almost drying up, especially going into what was expected to be a continuation of the worst drought ever. Some places around the State, especially those where people rely on the Colorado basin for water, are still in VERY bad shape, with some lakes being 50 feet low. Heck, even Stillhouse is still in terrible shape, having improved VERY little. Recent rains that benefitted Cowhouse and the Leon unfortunately largely missed the Lampasas basin.

Anyway, at least Bell and Coryell folks can breathe easier for the time being, and just head out to the Lake we've taken for granted for decades.










[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 3/15/2012 9:21a).]

Thanks, Pablo. I have learned a lot in this thread!

well, so much for the lake drying up

nolan creek was flooded this morning all the way up to the gin and coronas but it looks like they avoided getting any water in them.

Was it as bad as the one a few years ago?

No, not as bad. No water on central avenue this time.

But it was very high. Water way out of it's banks. Yettie Polk Park parking lot was under several feet of water. Water was almost up to the Compass bank drive thru building.









[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 3/20/2012 4:27p).]

Yikes. I remember seeing those pictures of Belton a couple of years back and couldnt believe how high the water was. Glad everything is in tact down there. The downtown area has really been improved in the past few years.

the only thing that looked like it might have got damaged down there was the pavilion between the Gin and Coronas was under water. not near as bad.