North Pool Doubles

The North Pool at Twin Buttes doubled in storage overnight.  It now holds more water than the combined pools held two months ago.  It's unclear how much runoff flowed into the South Pool or how it will impact the city's pumping plans.  I look forward to finding out. 

Runoff Rains Bless San Angelo

                          (photo by Tim Archuleta - posted on Go San Angelo)

Rains over the past three day should produce a significant runoff event for lakes providing San Angelo water.  Combined river and creek flow reached 25,500 cubic feet per second on Saturday, September 29.  Here's the breakdown (from USGS information):

Feeding the North Pool at Twin Buttes are the Middle Concho River, Spring Creek and Dove Creek.

Feeding the South Pool at Twin Buttes is the South Concho River:

The North Concho has a flood advisory and it feeds O.C. Fisher Lake:

The Colorado River near Ballinger feeds Ivie Reservoir, which supplies San Angelo water.

If the peak water flows pictured above were aggregated in one river, West Texas would've experienced water flow at half of Niagara Falls (the night time version when water is diverted for power generation).  It's a nice image for parched people at the edge of the desert.  Such a blessing...

Cheering Tropical Storm Norman's Moisture

San Angelo received nearly 6 inches of rain since Thursday evening.  That would seem to be greater than a "medium rain", the kind that should refill Twin Buttes' South Pool overnight, at least in the eyes of City Councilman Paul Alexander.  

The North Pool took on roughly 500 acre feet of water, according to the Bureau of Reclamation website. 

The city let half of that through to Lake Nasworthy.  This is not the total picture as runoff can take days to reach the reservoir.  However, the base level is bleak.

The South Pool's statistics are not included in the Bureau's numbers.  Adding to the South Pool's enigma status, the City cut off access weeks ago.  Apparently, a few West Texas knuckleheads vandalized the pumps.  They cost me access last Wednesday, a ninety degree day with 20-30 mph southerly winds.  I had a fair amount of fun windsurfing at flukey Lake Nasworthy, but I'd have more at the South Pool.

Despite several calls into the Water Department, I haven't heard back as to when the pumping operation will stop and citizens have access again.  More than medium rain, overnight.... I hope Paul Alexander is right.

Update 9-29-12:  Friends showed me pictures of Spring Creek flowing at 12 to 15 feet.  They said the Middle Concho had two feet of water in it.  Both Spring Creek and the Middle Concho feed the North Pool at Twin Butters.

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for the North Concho River which flows into O.C. Fisher Lake.  " THE NORTH CONCHO RIVER HAD RISEN TO 8.7 FEET. THIS RIVER IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 10.4 FEET BY THIS EVENING."

South Pool Dwindles

Twin Buttes South Pool continues to drop.  The City of San Angelo's relentless pumping operation exposes more shoreline every day. 

The rock below was in water when the City began draining the South Pool.

Pooling the Pools?

The Standard Times headline stated:

Twin Buttes water to be pooled together 

Given the North Pool's lack of rise, vs. the five feet promise, it's more like a pass through.  According to the article the City is pumping 21 million gallons a day from the South Pool.  The city uses 20 million gallons a day, with 12.2 million coming from Ivie Reservoir.

Doing the math, the city pumped 21 million gallons a day to supply 7.8 million gallons of treated water.  Councilman Alexander went from predicting "no loss in pumping" to lamenting a 50% loss.  That means the city loses 10.5 million of the 21 million gallons in transport.

South Pool water raised the North Pool less than a tenth of an inch since pumping began.  Given the two pools relatively equal volume before pumping started, the impact should be much greater.

The City drains the South Pool to meet our non-Ivie supplied water needs.  It's neither complicated nor a combination.

Medium Rain to Fill South Pool?

Thank the Lord for rain.  I wonder if it was the medium rain Councilman Paul Alexander predicted will easily refill the South Pool at Twin Buttes.  That would be great. 

Update 9-3-12:  Councilman Alexander's promise did not materialize

Spring Rains Gone from South Pool

Three weeks of pumping dropped the South Pool to levels seen last August.

The City effectively drew down all the water from this spring's rain.  I expect to be able to windsurf the South Pool for a few more weeks.

The North Pool won't rise near the five feet promised by City leaders.  Water Czar Will Wilde said the goal was to get the North Pool up six more inches to get proper pressure for flow into Lake Nasworthy.  

City Council wants to "master develop" land around Lake Nasworthy.  If Twin Buttes and O.C. Fischer dry up, Nasworthy will be it.  How much will master development restrict public access to the water at Nasworthy?  It remains to be seen.