Just two days after posting that I was encouraged that the proposal to temporarily reduce Lake Conroe water levels was still not enacted I received word this past Sunday that things were beginning to change.

How fast things can change!

TCEQ, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management have done their part to approve the temporary plan to reduce Lake Conroe water levels by 1′ in April and May and 2′ in August and September.

This is supposed to be a temporary 2 year plan while flood studies and the dredging of the San Jacinto River is completed. During those two years there will hopefully be sufficient work done, truth discovered, and other flood control infrastructure in place that the water levels can go back to normal.

In my opinion, this is disappointing, but not anything to lose sleep over. It’s disappointing because based on the information I’ve been briefed on by SJRA and retrieved from their website; the impact Lake Conroe had on the flooding downstream was much smaller than people think. As a matter of fact, based on the peak inflow and outflow charts SJRA put together, it seems clear that Lake Conroe actually decreased the flood damage that occurred downstream. These proposals seem to be trying to solve a problem we can’t fix and didn’t cause. There is no stopping a flood when the next Harvey comes to town….IF it ever does.

However, meanwhile, these proposals WILL negatively effect the Lake Conroe economy each and every day they are in effect. We can bank on that. So it seems our politicians aren’t really solving a problem, but instead piling problem on top of problem.

On the other hand, the proposal is not so drastic that it won’t be overcome. Lake Conroe is, and will continue to be, a desirable place to get away from Houston, retire to, vacation to, and enjoy the lake life. Lake Conroe will still be usable and accessible at the lower levels, and I can help you find the right place.

You can read more about this here or here.