Conservation Corps relives 2007 flood

By Raymond V. Whelan • Daily Tribune Staff

LAKE BUCHANAN - The Lake Buchanan Conservation Corps relived the June flood while viewing a video documentary of the event produced by the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The disaster is the ninth worst flood on the Colorado River in known history, officials with the authority said.

LCRA River Management Manager Mark Jordan presented the video to more than 20 attendees at the corps’ regular meeting Tuesday at the LCRA Western District Complex on RR 1431.

“Before the flood, we were in a severe drought,” Jordan said before the film began. “In fact, it was comparable to the drought of record in 1950.”

Weeks before the flood, many Highland Lakes residents were praying for rain, LCRA narrator Pat Fries said during the film. Then came the drought-breaking “rain bomb” that pelted Marble Falls with 19 inches of rain in 10 hours, “the worst of it hitting in the middle of the night.”

Soon after heavy rain fell from the skies the night of June 26 on the Highland Lakes, Backbone Creek, Whitman Branch Creek and even ranch roads turned into rivers that flowed through Marble Falls and affected many other major areas.

“Water seemed to be coming from everywhere, out of every crevice,” Fries said in the video. “Trains were lifted, pavement broke up and boats floated away.”

According to the video, by 9 a.m. June 27, Starcke Dam had released more than 250,000 cubic feet of water per second, along with lots of debris. By noon, LCRA officials estimated Lake Travis was rising at an alarming rate of 1 foot per hour - even with two floodgates opened.

For several days after the flood, LCRA closed all of the Highland Lakes except Lake Buchanan. As late as July 4, high water was still rushing through the floodgates at Mansfield Dam.

LCRA engineers estimate the flood swamped more than 1 million acre-feet - the ninth worst flood recorded on the Colorado River.

An acre-foot is the amount of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. An acre-foot equals 326,851 gallons, or 43,560 cubic feet.

The flood disrupted the lives of hundreds of individuals, disrupted the Marble Falls water supply for a week and caused millions of dollars in property damage. One man was killed and his companion is still missing after their vehicle was swept by floodwaters off RR 1431 east of Smithwick.

Opening the floodgates early during the storm helped preserve public safety and limit property damage, according to the LCRA film.

“It was just an incredible amount of rainfall,” Jordan said after the film. “I’m glad it’s over.”

Also, Jordan pointed out, the public can visit the LCRA Web site at www.lcra.org at any time to get an up-to-the-moment situation report on water levels, stream flows and precipitation.

“There is a lot of great information there,” Jordan added.

The water data comes from the LCRA Hydrometerological Data Acquisition System, a network of 250 gauges spread along the Colorado River Basin, Jordan said.

LCRA polls the “hydromet” gauges for water data every 15 minutes, Jordan said.

Also, Jordan said LCRA offers free subscriptions to its personal notification system, which automatically contacts subscribers any time floodgate operations are imminent.

Also during the meeting, corps member Alan Jankowski said several members helped children bait hooks and learn how to fish during a weekend fishing tournament Sept. 15 at Hamilton Creek in Burnet.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department sponsored the tournament for the Burnet Boys & Girls Club, and more than 30 children ages 4 to 14 participated in the tournament, Jankowski recalled.

After the tournament, the corps handed out several awards to the children, including trophies for smallest fish and largest fish caught.

The children caught “a lot of little perch” and “some really big catfish,” Bold recalled.

The largest fish caught by the children was a 4.97-pound catfish, Bold added.

“It was very successful,” Jankowski recalled. “The kids had a ball learning how to catch fish.”

Before the meeting ended, corps President George Bold announced member Jerry Moore would manage a booth at the upcoming wildlife show Oct. 6-7 at the Parks and Wildlife show on Smith School Road in Austin.

Also, Bold announced Parks and Wildlife officials are “running a bit behind” on restocking catfish in Lake Buchanan, mainly because of “bad weather.”

The restocking will probably begin early next month, Bold added.

“The good news is the fish will probably be bigger, because they’ll be in the (hatchery) ponds longer,” Bold added.

raymond@thepicayune.com

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Conservation Corps relives 2007 flood