The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has announced that the 2025 draft of the Whitney Lake Reallocation Study Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment are available for public review.
A public meeting will be held Thursday, August 14, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Hill County Exhibits Building, located at 205 Stadium Drive in Hillsboro.
The local reservoir operated by USACE is primarily for flood risk management, hydroelectric power and water supply.
The reallocation study examines the potential to adjust the proportion of water designated for different authorized users.
This study evaluates and compares a number of potential water supply storage alternatives to generate municipal and industrial water supply for the Brazos River basin.
The tentatively selected plan increases the water supply storage in the conservation pool by 72,817 acre-feet (ac-ft) and designates 111,537 ac-ft of storage as water supply from the powerhead reserve/inactive pool for a total water supply increase of 184,354 ac-ft.
USACE says the reallocation of storage is considered the most efficient means to address the current and projected water demands in the Brazos River Basin by the Brazos River Authority, USACE’s partner on the study.
Scenarios for reallocation have been studied since 2023 as the entities have assessed ways to provide additional municipal and industrial water supply storage that could be used to meet current and future needs in the Brazos River Basin.
A growing population, industrial infrastructure growth and a lack of additional readily available water supply storage were cited as reasons for the study.
The Corps said that compared to current conditions, the difference in monthly average lake level is modeled to be less than one foot under the proposed plan.
The reallocation would result in a decrease in elevation of the bottom of the conservation pool by 8 feet, from an elevation of 520 feet to 512 feet. The top of the conservation pool would remain the same at an elevation of 533 feet.
The 30-day public comment period will end Wednesday, August 20.
Detailed information is available on the study’s website with instructions to submit comments: http://www.swf.us ace.army.mil/Missions/Civ il-Works/Whitney-Lake-Real location-Study.
The August 14 public meeting will provide an overview of the study and the opportunity for the public to provide comments. Any materials presented at the public meeting will be made available on the study’s website after the meeting.
Comments can be submitted in writing either by email to: CESWF-Whitney_Reallocation@usace.army.mil; by mail to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District ATTN: Whitney Lake Reallocation Project – RPEC, 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102; or at the scheduled public meeting.
The Lakelander 