Jump to content

Lake Travis 2024: Countdown To Zero


Recommended Posts

16 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I for one support the idea of a deeper lake that never gets to the water level it might have otherwise achieved.  I bet all those marinas and waterfront homeowners would be thrilled with permanent rocks and random grass for their lakefront view & use.

This is great, except for 80% of the population that lives on the creek arms of the lake.  Dredging the lake deeper and lowering the full level just stripped away a shit-ton of waterfront properties that are still technically in a flood plain so they can't be developed.  And deeper does not equal wider, so you've compressed the surface area of the lake which means less room for surf boats and larger motor yachts to generate giant wakes.  And not to mention you've basically wiped out the upstream lake usage between Marble Falls dam and the usable Travis basin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of Wilco gets its water from lake Georgetown, which is supplemented with water pumped in from stillhouse hollow.

Wonder if we could devise a larger system with non-force field lakes such as Whitney, which is currently 100% full. Also Belton is close and 75% full. Obviously this only works if they receive rain when we don’t.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/14/2024 at 11:20 PM, Larry T. Spider said:

In this part of the world droughts end in floods. The lake will eventually be full again no matter what this summer or next brings. It’s just a matter of the prolonged pain until it happens. Sadly, most of the Austin population is completely oblivious to how this could play out in the very near future.

This.  Lake Travis goes up and down--that's what it does.  https://www.golaketravis.com/waterlevel/

We can look at the data in many ways depending on your outlook and agenda.  The very current trend doesn't look good.

Looking at the 10 highest levels ever, 8 of the highest levels have occurred since December 1991.  Looking at the lowest 10 levels ever, 6 of the lowest levels have occurred in that time.  If you look at 2010 to the present, two of the highest levels ever have occurred in that time, while three of the lowest levels ever have occurred since 2010.  

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Thetexashammer said:

image.thumb.png.602e669f930592de0379c31f697aa2cd.png

Medina lake history. I absolutely love that part of Texas. We used to go out there riding the Three Sisters.

I bought Thunder Creek Ranch in 2002, NW of Utopia and west of Medina.  A series of tropical storms had dumped ~ 17" of rain over a few weeks that summer and it looked like a tropical paradise. Thunder Creek was the appropriate name for the area, then.

I've learned It usually takes a hurricane/tropical storm weather event for Thunder Creek to Thunder, and sadly, those seem to be fewer occasions than when I roamed the 40 acres. Muck like the levels of Lake Medina.

Texas has been "hit" by 46 hurricanes/tropical storms since 2000, but only 5 have made landfall between Corpus Christi and Brownsville; Generally, anything east and west of that corridor doesn't impact central Texas, including Utopia and Austin.

August 9, 2002 – Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall as a tropical depression near Kingsville, 
August 16, 2007 – Tropical Storm Erin makes landfall near Lamar
July 23, 2008 – Hurricane Dolly makes landfall at South Padre Island 
September 8, 2016 – The remnants of Hurricane Newton bring heavy rains to parts of western Texas
Late August 2017 – Hurricane Harvey makes landfall on San José Island near Rockport

The occasional rain shower keeps things green, but it takes a series of wet years to keep the springs recharged, and the surface water is dependent on consistent localized rainfall, or a named storm.

There is no "normal" weather pattern, just the length of time between the transitions of flooding and drought.

It is amazing how different the weather is in the country v. Austin, ~ 113 miles as the crow flies.  Big difference between the radiant heat sink generated by all the concrete, asphalt, cars and the millions of 98 degree meat popsicles around town and the open country with zero impervious cover. 

The people are different too. Nobody complains about the water levels while they are sitting in their swimming pools watching the sprinklers watering the grass. 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, PTINS said:

Texas has been "hit" by 46 hurricanes/tropical storms since 2000, but only 5 have made landfall between Corpus Christi and Brownsville; Generally, anything east and west of that corridor doesn't impact central Texas, including Utopia and Austin.

Maybe it depends on the wording, but Hermine made landfall in NE Mexico and wreaked havoc in central Texas.  My home in Austin suffered $20K of damage due to rain-caused flooding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Larry T. Spider said:

A lot of Wilco gets its water from lake Georgetown, which is supplemented with water pumped in from stillhouse hollow.

Wonder if we could devise a larger system with non-force field lakes such as Whitney, which is currently 100% full. Also Belton is close and 75% full. Obviously this only works if they receive rain when we don’t.

i already answered this question

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, PTINS said:

I bought Thunder Creek Ranch in 2002, NW of Utopia and west of Medina.  A series of tropical storms had dumped ~ 17" of rain over a few weeks that summer and it looked like a tropical paradise. Thunder Creek was the appropriate name for the area, then.

 

Hi Neighbor, our ranch is out that way too. We've had property off 337 since 90's and have definitely noticed a decrease in rain fall out there within the past 10 years. We do rain collection for flushing toilets and taking showers and I'm expecting to have to truck it in over the summer if things do not change. 

It's pretty sad when the family text chain blows up over the .07 registered in the rain gauge this morning. 

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Maybe it depends on the wording, but Hermine made landfall in NE Mexico and wreaked havoc in central Texas.  My home in Austin suffered $20K of damage due to rain-caused flooding.

I did a quick wiki search for my comments. I know we get the remnants from East Texas, Northern Mexico and Pacific Coast storms.

I don't wish misery or harm on anyone, but I like the Thunder in my Creek.

0309(1).thumb.jpg.1d1105b9af0fa2fe48da241e555f4eb5.jpg 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Drool 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Hagbard Celine said:

95% of austinites require 2.3 seconds to realize the traffic light has turned green

only south florida surpasses austin driver stupidity

in other news, i can solve the water needs of the entire state for 100 years with 1 Billion dollars and the following technologies:

1. solar-driven Archimedes screws

2. downhill 1% grade aqueducts

07a11eab-7c8a-456a-8936-e79768cd73aa_tex

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, HouTex said:

This.  Lake Travis goes up and down--that's what it does.  https://www.golaketravis.com/waterlevel/

We can look at the data in many ways depending on your outlook and agenda.  The very current trend doesn't look good.

Looking at the 10 highest levels ever, 8 of the highest levels have occurred since December 1991.  Looking at the lowest 10 levels ever, 6 of the lowest levels have occurred in that time.  If you look at 2010 to the present, two of the highest levels ever have occurred in that time, while three of the lowest levels ever have occurred since 2010.  

Yes, but what has the population utilizing the water from Lake Travis been in those years?  There's a breaking point coming soon.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...