Runoff Rains a Blessing

Twin Buttes North Pool gained nearly five feet of water due to recent runoff rains.  Lake O.C. Fisher has been the big beneficiary of last week's heavy rain.

Rains turned our mud puddle into an actual lake.  It's a blessing!

Twin Buttes North Pool Rises

Great news!  O.C. Fisher is up over 20 feet in elevation.  E.V. Spence now holds over 20,000 acre feet of water. 

Middle Concho up Five Feet

Overnight rains impacted the Middle Concho River the most, while slight rises occurred in the South Concho, Spring Creek and Dove Creek. The street in front of my house put at least 100 acre feet in Lake Nasworthy (my guess). I've never seen it that high in nearly twenty years. I windsurfed Twin Buttes North Pool on Saturday and my daggerboard scapped bottom in several locations. I look forward to seeing the impact of Middle Concho River flow on the North Pool. Thank heaven for this blessing.

New Water Board Has One Tall Tale

San Angelo Live reported on the first meeting of the new Water Advisory Board with our new Water Utilities Director.  :

Bill Riley, being the City of San Angelo Water Utilities Director and most informed and seasoned in the expertise of the city's water situation,...

I'm sure Mr. Riley knows water.  I find it hard to believe he is the most informed regarding San Angelo's water situation given its history under former Water Chiefs Will Wilde and Ricky Dickson.

San Angelo Live offered:

Lake Spence, which is also supposed to supply the city water supply, is virtually dry right now, and hasn’t captured any significant gain in the last couple of years, taking Spence out of the equation.

Lake E.V. Spence has more water than Twin Buttes, 14,770 acre feet  vs. 9,427according to the Texas Water Development Board.  It is up nearly 6,000 acre feet in the last month   As for the last couple of years Spence held 30,000 acre feet in 2013.  Besides being wrong on Spence's water volume, Mr. Riley and San Angelo Live are missing the most basic fact as to why we get no water directly from Lake Spence.  The city's pipeline no longer works.

In justifying the Hickory Aquifer pipeline construction to a former Water Board in July 2009 minutes showed. 

Mr. Wilde stated the Lake Spence water supply pipeline has experience problems and issues, primarily due to the materials used; therefore not a viable water source.

When the city updated its website it lost a rich trove of documents, including the link to this statement.  I don't fault Mr. Riley or San Angelo Live for not knowing.  Consider this their opportunity to learn.

Setup for Runoff Rains?

The Weather Channel's ten day forecast shows six days with chances of rain between 40% and 80%.  The further out in time there's less certainty the prediction will hold, but I'm liking our chances.  I went to the North Pool at Twin Buttes for the first time this year.  I would both windsurf and paddleboard on the lake at these levels.  There are fairly safe sections of water (depth wise) for windsurfing.  The Equalization Channel is still flowing from the South Pool, so that is the safest place to windsurf in a South wind, especially for beginners.  I'm praying the prediction holds and our lakes take on water.  That would be a blessing. 

Update 5-10-15:  No luck yet on the runoff but the ground is now wet and a similar week is forecast.  Pray for rain! 

Rain in Watershed

Storms moving through West Texas fit nicely over Twin Buttes watershed.  Pray for a substantial dousing.  Wishing all a blessed Easter.

Twin Buttes Feeders Primed

Today's rains have local streams and arroyos flowing.  The South Concho River feeds Twin Buttes Reservoir's South Pool, which isn't far below the level where water flows into the Equalization Channel. 

I paddle boarded and windsurfed the South Pool this past weekend.  The water had cooled but I didn't need neoprene.  I expect that to change with fifty degree or lower rain. 

I sailed the North Pool on Sunday with a 6.0 square meter sail and 110 liter shortboard.  The water level had me worried about underwater obstructions, so I hope the North Pool takes on water.  Otherwise it will be a South Pool fall/winter sailing season. 

I checked a number of Concho River and area creek gauges (upstream of Twin Buttes) and none looked remarkable.  My hope is the rain thus far primed the ground for runoff and bountiful rains follow.  It's mid-level Pacific moisture which gave us our last two monster runoff events.  I'm praying for a few feet rise.