Tag Archive for: lower lake houston

Lake Houston Property Owners Should Prepare for Lower Lake Levels (or Not)

Note: I posted this this morning before a surprise storm dumped up to 10 inches of rain on the Lake Houston Area this afternoon. Now the river is expected to flood … despite the pre-release. At 7PM on Tuesday, the floodgates on Lake Houston remain wide open. As the river rises past flood stage, any thoughts of being land locked are now moot.

Houston City Council Member Dave Martin issued a press release this morning warning Lake Houston property owners to prepare for lower lake levels. Houston Public Works and the Coastal Water Authority are monitoring forecasts calling for substantial rainfall over the next several days.

Lower Lake Levels Heading Lower

Lake Houston is currently at  42.11 feet and still receiving water from weekend storms. But that’s a half inch down in the last 12 hours.

Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.5 feet. All four gates on the existing dam structure are open and will remain open with a goal of lowering the lake to 41.5 feet before the next round of rainfall. Property owners are encouraged to secure property along the shoreline. 

Lake-Lowering Policy

Lake Houston is lowered if the National Weather Service predicts greater than 3 inches of rain within a 48-hour period. To monitor Lake Houston and the forecasted rain, click here

6-day precipitation forecast: 7 inches across the Houston Metro Area

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/2019

616 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City to Lower Lake Houston for Dam Repairs

Houston City Council Member Dave Martin issued an alert on Feb. 22, 2019, stating that the Coastal Water Authority will soon lower the level of Lake Houston for dam repairs. The City is warning all property and boat owners to take appropriate action.

Lake Houston has an extensive overflow spillway system.

First Step in 18 Month Process

The Coastal Water Authority plans to lower Lake Houston by 12 inches starting Monday, February 25, for scheduled maintenance on the dam. This is the first step in an 18-month project to improve the dam’s stability.

The Lake Houston Dam during Hurricane Harvey Flooding. According to Harris County Flood Control’s final report on Harvey, An estimated discharge of 425,000 cfs or 5.0 times the average flow of Niagara Falls occurred at the peak flow over the Lake Houston spillway. This amount of flow would fill NRG Stadium in 3.5 minutes.

Scope of Dam Repairs

Property owners should secure property along the shoreline before the lowering begins.  The planned maintenance includes rehabilitation of two weir structures on the downstream portion of the dam. 

This preliminary work includes performing inspections and measurements which is the purpose for lowering the level of the lake on Monday. Once preliminary work is completed, the lake will be allowed to refill naturally. The lower lake level is expected to last approximately one week.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/23/2019

543 Days since Hurricane Harvey