Officials are temporarily lowering Lake Houston's water level from 42.5 feet to 40 feet at the same time a flash flood watch has been issued for much of the Greater Houston area, according to a press release issued by Houston City Council member Dave Martin.

According to the city of Houston press release, the Coastal Water Authority began lowering the lake's water level on Monday night.

All of the Lake Houston gates are currently open and the water level should reach the desired height by Wednesday evening, according to the release. Once the lake is lowered to 40 feet, the city of Houston will adjust the lake's spillway gates to maintain that level. According to the press release, this will help the communities surrounding Lake Houston while the city addresses silt collection in the lake and other flood mitigation efforts in the area.

A spokesperson for Martin's office, Jessica Beemer, said lowering the water level is a temporary measure and that the length and frequency of future lowering has not been determined. She said lowering the lake's level before a storm is a coincidence, and that Martin has been asking for this reduction for some time.

Beemer said this measure can help people living in the area, but more mitigation efforts are necessary, including the dredging of the San Jacinto River—a project that has recently received funding from the state.

On March 15, Abbott announced authorization for about $5 million in initial funding for flood control projects to support the Lake Houston and Kingwood area. This funding includes $3 million to cover engineering and permitting costs of dredging the San Jacinto River and $2 million for a regional study that will evaluate ways to prevent future flooding along the river.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch effective from Wednesday morning through Thursday morning for numerous counties throughout Southeast Texas, including Harris. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to start Tuesday night and continue until Thursday afternoon.