EQ Stops Flowing

City leaders projected the South Pool to flow through Twin Buttes Equalization Channel, saying it could last several months.  It flowed for just over a week. 

The amount of water in Twin Buttes is roughly the same as it was last June, when the city faced a bleak water situation.  Some might ask what happened to the big runoff last fall?  The City drew down nearly 6,000 acre feet in five months.

That's a draw down of 1,250 acre feet a month. It's be interesting to know if any of it was used for well fracking, which uses 1.5 million gallons of water per well. 

The City's conflicted water stance comes from being both seller and encourager of conservation.  It brings to mind the recently overused statement, "Smells like money to me."  It'd be interesting to compare charges for the same amount of water used for residential vs. fracking purposes.

Unfortunately, Twin Buttes is back to last summer's levels and San Angelo's water needs look like they will soon explode.  Pray for rain.

Change of Plans on South Pool

The City has been consistently inconsistent regarding pumping the South Pool.  After discovering the earthen dam in the midst of the Equalization Channel, I wrote my City Council representative.  They shared something completely new, i.e. information not shared in City Council to date regarding Twin Buttes pumping..

The latest change is to not allow the Equalization Channel to flow naturally, as expected by now.  The plan was the same as last year, to begin pumping once the natural flow stopped.  The sequence was to be natural flow, pumping.

The new plan is to The City will allow water to build up behind the earthen dam, install the pumps and have both flow simultaneously.  The hope is by pushing volume down the channel less water will be lost to seepage and evaporation.  Recall the city's original projections called for no water lost.

Update  3-17-13:  I windsurfed the South Pool yesterday and, lo and behold, a small stream of water ran through the EQ.  It sounds like it's back to the original plan.

Why the EQ Won't Flow

City leaders predicted water would flow through Twin Buttes Equalization Channel in late February/early March.  Yet when I crossed the bridge today there was no water below, not even the expected trickle.

Oddly, there's water going from the South Pool into the EQ, as pictured above and below.

Gravity is supposed to work from this point.  Yet, it didn't.  Was the water still seeping into dry ground?  I hiked the dry channel from the boat ramp to find the culprit, an earthen dam.

I surmise the left lane will be for natural flow from the South Pool, while the right lane will push pumped water. 

Under the current state the EQ won't deliver water from the South Pool to the North until the water rises several feet or the City removes its earthen dam. 

What's the City's plan to remove the obstruction to allow the natural flow of water from the South Pool to the North?  Ricky Dickson would be the man with the answer.

The city's utilization of Twin Butte's North Pool exhausted last fall's massive runoff, The South Pool water needs to flow, naturally while it can.  An earthen dam and miles of dry ground stand in the way.