Our Lake looks great at this level and is in healthy shape.
LCA President’s Update – January 16, 2023
As of today, the Lake is at 200.7 msl just three inches shy of normal pool. After a very dry Spring and Summer the lake level has recovered naturally due to our typical December and January rainfall. As mentioned in our last update there were no water releases due the seasonal lake lowering program (SLLP) in 2022. This was due to the compromise agreement struck last Fall between the LCA, SJRA and multiple other parties. The City of Houston (CoH) Public Works Department did not call for any SLLP releases in 2022 as there were no significant storm threats, water levels were watched carefully, and the state drought made it vital to conserve water supplies. Even without SLLP releases the lake reached a low of 198.4 feet as recently as November. This was 2.6 feet below normal pool. A six-inch release in the Spring due to SLLP would have reduced lake levels to 197.9 which is over 3 feet below normal pool.
We have now held two meetings in December and January regarding the 2023 SLLP program. I believe we have made additional progress to ensure that there is minimal chance of any arbitrary SLLP releases as occurred in 2020 and 2021. The revised language, which is in final draft, will better describe the factors involved in considering 2023 SLLP releases. It should increase the chances that the joint efforts and sound assessments that occurred in 2022 will be repeated in 2023. We expect the agreement to be finalized in the next 2-3 weeks.
As a reminder – the LCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Friday January 20th at 12:30 PM. See below for details. This is an open meeting, and all interested parties are invited. We do conduct official annual business with votes cast by “voting members” either in person or by proxy. As the LCA is a state-chartered entity we establish a list of voting members (criteria is anyone making at least a $100 annual donation) and must have a minimum number of votes cast for our annual meeting reports and seating our Board Members. In the AGM we will review our finances, the 2023 proposed budget, elect Board members, and update those in attendance on the 2023 SLLP discussions and the status of Hydrilla. We have been interviewing new Board candidates in the last two weeks and are very pleased with the interest level and quality of the applicants.
Annual Meeting and Election of Board Members – Meeting Details
Location: San Jacinto River Authority Office Third Floor Board Room
1577 Dam Site Road – Conroe – Gate will be open before 12 PM
Meeting starts 12:30 PM Friday, January 20, 2023
Kevin Lacy – LCA President