The Trinity River Authority (TRA) holds a crucial responsibility in safeguarding water resources that are vital for the sustenance of communities. At the heart of this endeavor lies the Lake Livingston Dam, a key component in the management of water resources. However, it seems that there is a misunderstanding among many residents regarding the primary purpose of the dam.
It’s important to clarify that the Lake Livingston Dam functions as a water conservation reservoir and not as a flood control reservoir. In a statement to Bluebonnet News, Rickey Davis, a spokesperson for the Trinity River Authority, said, “All we do is try to maintain a steady level of Lake Livingston. We don’t have the extra capacity to hold water in the case of floods. Our releases are determined by the amount of inflows that we have coming into the lake. Whatever that is, we match it with our release to the best of our ability.”
The actions of the TRA regarding water release have sparked immense concern and scrutiny in the wake of the ongoing flooding downstream of the dam.
Speaking on the matter, Davis emphasized the meticulous consideration given to the decisions regarding the adjustment of water flow each day, particularly during significant flooding events in the area.
“Our aim is to replicate the natural flow of the river as if the lake didn’t exist,” Davis explained.
In response to questions about why the Trinity River Authority (TRA) does not pre-release water from the dam ahead of incoming water from the north, spokesperson Davis provided insights into the decision-making process. According to Davis, there are two key considerations that shape this approach.
Firstly, the unpredictability of water inflow poses a significant challenge. Despite forecasts indicating 3 to 4 inches of rain on Sunday and Wednesday nights, April 28 and May 1, respectively, the actual rainfall amounted to a staggering 10 to 11 inches on both occasions. Davis emphasized the near-impossibility of accurately predicting the exact amount of rainfall.
Secondly, Davis highlighted the potential danger posed to downstream communities in the event of pre-releasing water. Filling the river channel with water from the lake before unexpected rainfall south of the lake could result in flooding in the lower counties. This scenario would leave no capacity to accommodate the runoff should rain fall in the areas downstream.
To illustrate the potential consequences, Davis recalled a past event where a hurricane was projected to bring 30 inches of rain to Lake Livingston. However, the storm veered away, ultimately leading to extensive rainfall in Liberty County. Davis emphasized that pre-releasing water in such a situation would have exacerbated the issues faced by Liberty County.
Highlighting the substantial rainfall currently across the region, Davis said that the current water release as of Thursday evening, May 2, stands at a historic 124,266 cubic feet per second, surpassing the previous record set during Hurricane Harvey at 110,600 cubic feet per second. The number is unchanged as of Friday morning, May 3.
Despite these unprecedented figures, Davis reassured that the release is still well below the dam’s total capacity, estimated at around 300,000 cubic feet per second.
“We are far from reaching the dam’s true capacity. Catastrophic flooding of that magnitude would never occur; however, the dam’s design allows for such levels through the gates,” Davis said.
Relating to the dam’s stability, Davis said that it had been reinforced following Hurricane Rita and is displaying no signs of compromise.
Mr. Davis is full of it. Lake livingston, Lake Conroe, and Lake Houston where all built for water reservoirs. Only after law suites after Harvey did San Jacinto River Authority start managing the releases better. As far as trying to achieve a natural flow as if the damn was not there. It is not possible, because the Army Corp Enigineers built a burm closing of the delta fingers of the river at Trinity bay and installed a salt water barrier gate back around 1994. This was done so TRA and the City of Houston would have fresh water in low flow periods. This prevents the water from becoming brackish water and also restricts the outlet flow during high flow. We have had flooding issue down stream ever since this was done. Follow the money!
I am up River from the dam in Leon County and run cattle along it. In one of the 2015 we had water held back from the lake for over month. It killed several pecans we harvest and all the grasses. It took over a year before we could move cattle back on the place. I complain to them about holding the water back and the said they didn’t want to make a man made flood for everyone below the dam. I told him so it’s ok to make one upstream from the lake. I do know now they release only what flow rate comes into the lake by the river and creeks flowing into it. These rains we had was probably a 500 year flood. Old timers around our area has never seen anything like what we had.
[…] dam, which is run by the Trinity River Authority, was not designed for flood control. Instead, its main purpose is drinking water conservation. Dam officials here and […]
[…] dam, which is run by the Trinity River Authority, was not designed for flood control. Instead, its main purpose is drinking water conservation. Dam officials here and […]
[…] bridge, which is run by the Trinity River Authority, was not designed for disaster power. Instead, its primary function is drinking water conservation. In order to […]
fema could buy out the residents in known flooded areas to allow a larger surface area to allow the gates to be opened wider to allow a quicker release so that the water could be managed better. This situation occurs every seven years!
I AM DEVASTATED BY THIS LATEST FLOOD! I AM TERRIFIED TO GO BACK HOME. The huge old trees are falling everywhere. They fall without warning in 5 seconds.
We could’ve saved a lot of our valuables, including my mom’s RV, had we known before our Liberty property started flooding that the lake Nazis were going to release so much water.