Lowering Lake Houston
Lowering Lake Houston
From the Councilman's email: Lake Lowering & Weather Update HOUSTON - Council Member Fred Flickinger would like to inform Lake Houston Area residents that Houston Public Works, the Coastal Water Authority, and the San Jacinto River Authority are working closely together and monitoring rainfall forecasts over the next few days. Coastal Water Authority will begin lowering Lake Houston 1 ft below normal pool to 41.4 ft early this afternoon. Satellite images, offshore observations, and coastal radars indicate the area of broad low pressure over the northern Gulf south of the Louisiana coast has become slightly better organized with a large mass over deep convection over/near the broad center. Heavy rainfall of 4-6 inches can be expected near and along the track of 97L or across eastern Galveston, eastern Harris, Chambers, Liberty, Montgomery, and San Jacinto Counties or generally along and east of the I-45 corridor. Rainfall amounts to the west of I-45 will average around 1-3 inches. Isolated higher totals will be possible with any sustained banding features. While grounds are generally dry, excessive hourly rainfall rates of 2-4 inches will be possible, yielding rapid runoff. Lake Houston: Lake Houston is currently at 42.38 feet (normal pool is 42.4 feet). Lake Houston gates will open early this afternoon to begin the lake-lowering process. Property owners along the lake should secure their shoreline property. Lake Conroe: Lake Conroe is currently at 200.04 feet (normal pool is 201 feet).
SandyKnee :
This one will be a depression or minimal TS. Lowering the lake for such a small storm seems like overkill. It makes sense for a hit by something labeled hurricane, where we take a direct hit or end up on the dirty side. This is not expected to be anywhere near that level.
donnatella :
Until (or rather "if") additional gates are added to the Lake Houston Dam it should be lowered in advance of almost any meaningful/measurable amount of forecasted rain. The issue is with Lake Conroe. SJRA abandoned the agreed upon seasonal lake lowering protocol and proved they will open their dam whenever they want without warning. We can get no rain here, and there could be very heavy rain in the general Conroe area. This is my concern !
Texvette : I agree - drain that puddle! Of course even a puddle like Lake Houston can take a while to lower with insufficient gates/controls.
Txbutterfly : I fully agree. What is really perplexing is the extremely little amount of actual work that has been done to reduce flooding in the 9+ years following Harvey. Lots of committees, meetings and expensive studies …… but very little real work. The dredging that was done has been overcome by more sand leakage from the sand miners. SJRA unilaterally abandoned the agreed upon seasonal lake lowering protocol. I sincerely doubt we will ever see additional gates for Lake Houston. Lowering Lake Houston is about the only "tool" in the flood control toolbox.
Luv2eatsushi : My thinking is consistent with Bob's. NO ONE KNOW HOW MUCH IT WILL RAIN AND WHAT IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON THE OVERALL SAN JACINTO WATERSHED. The one and only thing that can be done is to lower Lake Houston … and that takes a day or 2.
donnatella : Are you 100% sure there will not be an accumulation of rain in the San Jacinto Watershed (north and east of Lake Conroe all the way down the east and west forks of the San Jacinto River) ?
Luv2eatsushi : Nope. They agreed to a seasonal lake lowering program. They unilaterally abandoned it after complaints from Conroe area citizens. The aesthetics of the lake, as well as recreational use, is much more important that preventing flooding for citizens living downstream of them.
QueenB : Agree. But one preventative measure is readily available….. lower Lake Houston in advance to increase it's capacity to hold water. 
Magaman
QueenB : Agree. But one preventative measure is readily available….. lower Lake Houston in advance to increase it's capacity to hold water.
Texvette : Absolutely agree. We can do all we can to prepare for whatever she has in store for us this go round.
donnatella : Are you 100% sure there will not be an accumulation of rain in the San Jacinto Watershed (north and east of Lake Conroe all the way down the east and west forks of the San Jacinto River) ? I agree this storm is not expected to be as severe as Harvey. But NO ONE knows how much the water level will be making its way to Lake Houston. My guess is that you did not flood from Harvey. If you did, you would not refer to lowering Lake Houston as "overkill", but may consider it being the only proactive preventative measure that can be implemented. Remember, the SJRA does not care about us downstream of them. They will immediately open the Lake Conroe Dam if they feel it is needed.
Texvette : « Back to Chat
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