Prior to this week, the Coastal Water Authority had already been maintaining Lake Houston at roughly a foot below its normal pooling level of 42.5 feet above mean sea level for the ongoing Lake Houston Spillway Dam Rehabilitation Project.
The dam rehabilitation project began in May and is set to be completed late this year, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported. The goal of the $10 million project is to provide more stability to the dam by installing a new reinforced concrete training wall, building new concrete anchor blocks at the bottom of the dam's wall, and elevating the pool weirs by 7 feet to alter the water flow from the dam.
Erin Jones, the public information officer for Houston Public Works, said the lower lake level will remain in place until contractors can finish pouring concrete, which could be Feb. 4 depending on weather and supply conditions. The lake should reach 41 feet above mean sea level by Jan. 31, Jones said.
Waterfront homeowners along Lake Houston should secure their property, according to the release.
The dam rehabilitation project is not part of the $47.1 million Lake Houston dam gate project, which will add additional gates to the dam to increase its ability to release water.
