Lake officials consider reallocating water in Lake Whitney

WHITNEY, Texas (KWTX) - Lake officials are looking at a proposal for Lake Whitney to provide water needs to people in the Brazos River Authority basin.

Experts said for now, the plan makes more water available for use.

That way, the water supply can be used for municipal or industrial needs from now and into the future.

Lake Whitney has many roles like flood risk management, hydroelectric power and water supply, serving many Texans.

Lake manager, Joshua Brown said it could be even more useful.

“How do we best provide for the needs to the public with the resource that we’re charged with.”

The US Army Corps of Engineers and the Brazos River Authority are doing a reallocation study to get more water supply in the basin.

The lake is split for different purposes.

Experts said the conservation pool is used for water storage and recreational use.

Thus, Brown said with this proposal, the top of the conservation pool will not move, boaters and swimmers won’t see a difference.

The bottom of the conservation pool will be lowered from 520 feet to 512.

In turn, Brown said it increases water storage at the top of the lake and limits the bottom of the lake used for hydroelectric power.

Essentially, pieces of the pie are being slightly shifted.

“Ecologically, we’re not changing the lake level. It’s going to look more like it did for the last 50 years. So, there’s not going to be a change when it comes to that,” said Brown.

However, resident Charles Sparks said reducing hydroelectricity causes concern nationally.

“The Department of Energy has said we can’t be reducing any hydroelectric power reserves in the country at this point. We’re trying to increase hydropower,” said Sparks.

Brown said if officials build a new dam and dropped the proposal, residents and the ecosystem would feel the negative effects.

“For one thing, it would cost more money. It would require the taking of private property. There would be negative effects to the ecology for whatever land they’re going to be flooding,” said Brown.

On the other hand, Sparks said there’s other options like considering additional reservoirs like in the Dallas area.

“That type of planning appears not to have been done here. So, with the corps is doing in conjunction with BRA appears to just be taking the easy way out and lets just take more water out of Whitney,” said Sparks.

Right now, the plan is in the public review stage.

Officials have to read and answer public comments.

If the plan goes forward as is now, experts will study the plan even closer and look at all the different impacts it could have.

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