Lake Lavon in serious trouble?

[jackaroo]

Where has all the water gone?
11:37 AM CDT on Friday, September 8, 2006

By DAVID SCHECHTER / WFAA-TV


If our drought drags on any longer, water may soon be harder to come by. Officials are considering Stage 4 water restrictions, which severely limit water use.

Lake Lavon, in Collin County, is in the worst shape. Built in 1953, it provides water for more than 1.5 million people in seven counties—and it is 15 1/2 feet below normal level.

So, what happened to all the water?

"Nature does not allow you to borrow anything," explained TCU hydrologist Dr. Ranjan Muttiah. "If you don't have it, you can't borrow it."

Dr. Muttiah said the first problem for the lake is sediment: dirt, rocks, and stones flowing in. "Stuff that comes in gradually," he said. "Builds up. People don't see or hear about it."

After half a century of sediment buildup, there's simply less room for water.

Then there's the sun, and evaporation. "The sun energizes the water molecules, and the water molecules get shoved around real fast," Dr. Muttiah explained. "Some escape from the surface of the water. That's how evaporation happens."

The 19-month drought in North Texas is a major factor, of course; there's simply not enough water coming in.

But then there's also us. Homes and businesses in Plano, Frisco, Garland, McKinney, Richardson, Rockwall, and 38 other North Texas cities and utility districts drain a lot of water out of Lake Lavon.

Dr. Muttiah estimated it would take nine days of rain like the kind we had last Monday to bring the lake back to its normal level.

Stage 4 water restrictions, if needed, would prohibit most landscape watering, most vehicle washing, swimming pool construction, and other outdoor water usage.

[TheChris]

I was just out at Lavon this weekend to sail. It looks like the entire lake has about 12 feet of water left. There are a few spots where it is about 20 feet deep though.

Our marina has already moved from its protective cove (which is dry land now) and they are going to have to move it again.

The good news is, there aren't too many power boats on the lake as they cannot put in.

[jackaroo]

Water officials consider Stage 4 alternatives


12:29 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 13, 2006

By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA-TV


WYLIE — Members of the North Texas Municipal Water District met behind closed doors Wednesday to discuss creative alternatives to emergency Stage 4 water use restrictions.

We all know it's been bone dry summer, and forecasters say there's no wet relief in sight.

Severe restrictions under Stage 4 guidelines would include:

• A ban on commercial and residential landscape watering

• Mandatory commercial water use cutbacks

• A ban on vehicle washing

The Stage 4 restrictions can be triggered when Lavon Lake—the primary water source for the NTMWD—falls 17 feet below normal level. It's already down nearly 16 feet, and many parts of what used to be lakebed now resemble a desert.

The NTMWD supplies water for more than 1.5 million customers in seven North Texas counties. Officials met with municipal leaders on Wednesday to discuss possible ways to conserve more water before it becomes necessary to mandate restrictions.

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Wow, down 16 feet for the entire lake, that's huge. It's got to be at one of it's lowest points in history.

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Trying to do more conservation before going to stage 4.
Link
Water use rules may get tougher

North Texas district, member cities pitch ways to avoid rationing
08:43 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 13, 2006

By ROY APPLETON / The Dallas Morning News Any decision is days, if not weeks, away. But the North Texas Municipal Water District and its customer cities moved Wednesday toward new, tougher water restrictions.
For now, water rationing and other Stage 4 drought controls remain an indefinite, last-ditch option, officials say.
With its water supply dwindling, the district kicked its drought contingency plan to Stage 3 on June 1. Most of the cities it serves in Dallas and six neighboring counties have limited lawn watering to once a week, among other measures.
On Wednesday, district officials and representatives from Plano, Frisco, Garland, Allen, Wylie and other customer cities brainstormed ways to crank up conservation – to avoid Stage 4.
Such a move would put limits on water deliveries to customer cities and could include a ban on most outdoor watering and allow for a moratorium on development, district officials say.
"Anything we do today will postpone having to go to Stage 4," said Mike Rickman, the water district's executive assistant.
In a lively discussion at the district's headquarters in Wylie, city representatives asked for legal clarification about curbing growth during drought emergencies. They also proposed these actions for further consideration:
• Prohibit operation of in-ground irrigation systems from Nov. 1 through March 31, while allowing limited landscape watering by hand-held and drip hoses.
• Tighten enforcement of existing restrictions.
• Reduce the times currently allowed for landscape watering.
• Increase the rate surcharges for excessive water consumption.
• Ask restaurants to offer water only if requested.
• Prohibit hydromulching and overseeding of lawns with ryegrass.
• Increase cities' water-reduction goals.
The suggestions will be offered to other city officials and honed to a consensus list, which will be presented to the water district board. Whichever proposals make the cut would be sent to city councils for consideration.
Some officials talked Wednesday about having the new rules in place by Nov. 1, but no timetable was set.
The water district's contracts with some cities allow it to impose conservation measures, but it has no such authority with its member cities, such as Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Allen.
"I'm willing to take more restrictions to my council," Steve Massey, Allen's director of community services, told the group. "And if we can get other cities to do something, that's a plus."

[jackaroo]

This definitely is a serious issue. Unfortunately, the tighter water restrictions, as a result of us reaching stage 4, is going to result in more residents living in these counties to be unhappy and protest some of these restrictions.

I know that Plano, Allen, and Frisco already have had literally hundreds of complaints from local residents who are arguing certain restriction policies and fines. Frisco, I believe, comes and shuts off your water if you are caught watering outside of approved times. You have to call the city and pay a fine and have someone come out and reconnect your water.

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This article has Lake Lavon 2/3's empty...it's a pretty interesting read, they are putting in some beaches with the water level down. Also finding all sorts of things...

Lavon Lake is half-full, some say

Exposed shoreline lets crews add beaches, remove debris
09:16 AM CDT on Sunday, October 8, 2006

By ROY APPLETON / The Dallas Morning News Lavon Lake may be drought central, but the dry times there aren't just a downer.
Sure, the Collin County reservoir lies almost two-thirds empty, nearly 17 feet below its normal elevation.

Yes, most boat ramps are closed and a marina has been literally grounded, as this primary water supply for 1.6 million Dallas-area residents keeps dwindling.
And North Texas Municipal Water District officials – responsible for delivering water to Plano, Garland, Rockwall and dozens of other cities – are considering further cutbacks on watering and, if needed, rationing.
But they and others see opportunity, glasses half-full, a silver lining of sorts, in what's happening at Lavon.
"You'll start stepping into the water right here," says James Murphy, as he tromps across what will someday be a new sandy shoreline at Lavon's Avalon Park.
A recreation specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mr. Murphy this summer directed the building of beaches at Avalon and two other Lavon parks.
Also Online The benefits of the drought.


With water out of the way, choice swimming areas were covered with 49 tons of pea gravel and 49 tons of sand.
"This is going to be very nice," Mr. Murphy said of the Avalon beach, flooded these days with vegetation. "We're just waiting for the water."
The down times have given volunteers from First Baptist Church of Melissa and other groups room to clean shorelines. Corps employees have removed hundreds of concrete-bucketed trees and other illegal fishing structures from the federally owned and operated reservoir.
"Fishermen like to create their own honey holes," Mr. Murphy said.
For Brent Pauling, the fishing at Lavon this year has been sweeter than ever.
"There's less water, less searching, fewer places for them to hide," said the Wylie resident, who's been fishing the reservoir for some 20 years and now targets catfish.
"We've had a lot more 20-, 30-, 40-pound fish than normal," he said. "They've been catching them left and right."
And wait until the lake refills, he and others say.
Vegetation now thriving in the drying lake bed will become fine fish habitat when submerged and enrich the water with nutrients as it decays, said Bruce Hysmith, a fisheries biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
"It'll be great for the fishing," he said.
The shrinking reservoir has bared about 8,600 acres of public land, mostly on its northern reaches – ground off-limits to motor vehicles but prime for roaming.
"You aren't going to get to go to some of these places again," said Brad Welborn, anticipating the reservoir's eventual rise from its record low. "You might as well enjoy it."
The Allen resident has come across an old motorcycle, the remains of a truck, "all different stuff," in his ventures across the cracked land, warm in browns and thick in greens.
"Bushes are jumping up everywhere," he said, as are signs of feral hogs. "It's out of control down in there. There's so many of them."
Bow hunters can kill the wild beasts in set areas near the lake. Treasure hunters with metal detectors and federal permits can work designated spots.
And all around, the draining reservoir is bringing objects and surprises to light.
There's the 1987 Garland High School senior class ring found near a boat ramp and returned to Craig Blankenship, two decades after it plopped into the water.
"We looked and looked. I thought it was lost forever," said the Rowlett resident.
Near Avalon Park, there's the exposed bed of a Santa Fe railroad line that once ran through the town of Clear Lake, still engulfed by Lavon.
Elsewhere, the drought has delivered the wreckage of six stolen vehicles, six boats, a safe (empty), an ATM (empty), and other seamier signs of non-aquatic life.
As for the water level, "right now it's hard to see anything positive out there," said Mike Rickman, the water district's executive assistant.
But he and others say the mere sight of the lake and the state of the water supply could have a lasting impact on water conservation.
"It's got people focused on where our water comes from and how precious it is," said Martin Bowles, whose East Fork Harbor marina has been out of the water and out of action since July 4.
Jim Parks, the district's executive director, agrees. "How can anyone have a mind-set that there's not a problem to be addressed.
"The good thing about the drought is it's made it easier for us to sell that concept [of conservation] quicker."

Article Link

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I took some pics of Lake Lavon this past weekend and have posted them on Flickr.com here.

These photos were taken on 10/14/2006 and the water level was approximately 17ft below normal levels. It was pretty amazing going around the lake to see how low most of the areas were. Several of the areas didn't even look like they were part of the lake bed as they had lots of vegetation growing. One large region around where 380 crosses in the North looked like a large marsh area which I got some good pics of. The only park open on the lake at this time of year is Lavonia Park on the SE corner and we spent some time poking around there and getting shots. There was a designated swimming area at the park that was completely dried up, we had to walk about 100ft from the normal bank to get to the water. It was pretty amazing to walk around an area that is usually about 12 ft under water. I was fairly surprised at the lack of trash in the swimming area, I thought it would have been covered with old junk but there wasn't very much around.