(Seguin) — A damaged spillgate is going to cause Lake Dunlap to completely drain today, and it will also cause increased flows, which will impact people downstream.
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) is working to repair a spillgate on Lake Dunlap, which is one of the area hydroelectric lakes on the Guadalupe River.
GBRA Communications Manager Patty Gonzales they experienced a spillgate failure at Lake Dunlap just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday. She says this is expected to have a significant impact on Lake Dunlap.
“What this means is that we are expecting the lake level to decline. It’s fallen approximately six feet, and we are expecting the lake to fully drain by later today (Tuesday), or early this (Tuesday) evening,” said Gonzales.
Gonzales says those downstream from Lake Dunlap will continue to see increased flows during this event. She says they asking folks along the river to protect their personal property while the levels are elevated.
“As far as the river flows go, we will see some downstream impacts. We are asking people, downstream of the lake, to take precautions — as in securing their boats and any other recreational items that they may have. You are going to see river flows at approximately 11,000 CFS (cubic feet per second).
Gonzales says GBRA crews have been assessing the situation, but it’s not clear how long things will remain this way. She says the most important thing is that people heed their warnings about the draining of Lake Dunlap, and the increased flows that will continue to occur farther downstream.
“Right now I can’t tell you that. All I can tell you is that throughout the day, you’ll be seeing swift currents flowing through the Guadalupe River downstream of (Lake) Dunlap. And, as I said previously, we are expected the lake to fully drain by later today or early this evening,” said Gonzales.
GBRA officials say they will continue to issue updates on its social media pages, and through the local news media outlets.