Two years ago, in August of 2013 the Lake Texoma Association published their Lake Texoma and Red River Watershed & Reservoir Sustainability Study and Plan.
Things have changed a lot since August of 2013, as we all know.
The lake was low and the big issue of the day back then was the harmful effects of Blue Green Algae.
Remember those warning signs, the ones the Corps posted to let swimmers know it might not be safe to swim in a particular area? It was quite a scare, and actually kept people off the lake and off the beaches, fearing they might become ill, or their kids might suffer ill effects from Lake Texoma water.
Well, we have a whole different problem now, don’t we? If the Blue Green Algae is proliferating in this high summer heat right now, it’s drowning in the high lake level, along with everything else.
If I sound skeptical, it’s true. I am wondering, as are MANY other people, why Lake Texoma is still flooded now. It’s not raining over the lake. And it’s not raining over the watershed. And the lake is still (as of this writing) measuring 638.65 feet above sea level.
That’s less than a foot and a half from going over the spillway. That’s over 21 feet above normal lake level of 617. This week it was within 6 inches of going over the spillway, and now it’s come down a bit.
Just a bit… Does that seem odd to you, too?
My neighbor commutes to Shreveport LA every other week and he says people over there are complaining fiercely about the flooding. I realize that’s a problem for them, and for others along the Red River downstream from Lake Texoma.
However, we’re suffering in these floodwaters, folks. The shop where my husband works is still 6’ under water, and it’s been flooded for over 2 months. That’s bad. That’s very, very bad. It means no boats are getting repaired, and what’s more, it’s not likely too many boats will be getting repaired on Lake Texoma this summer at all, is it?
The Army Corps of Engineers has purposes, plans and priorities. It is not obligated to explain anything to those of us living on Lake Texoma, or those of us who like to vacation here. The Corps is in charge, and we are not. That’s a fact.
There is a lot of murmuring going on about why Lake Texoma is not going down faster, as it did in 2007. From the beginning of the flood in 2007 to its return to normal lake levels only took a month. So far, it’s been twice that long for us during this 2015 flood. Yes, it has.
To quote the Lake Texoma Association study:
“2,767 Oklahoma and Texas jobs at Lake Texoma are being affected to varying degrees as well as the overall area economy. 1,245 in Oklahoma and 1,522 in Texas. That’s equivalent to the Toyota Truck factory in San Antonio, TX. The estimated revenue loss by Lake Texoma businesses from Labor Day through the end of 2011 was estimated at $45 million due to Blue Green Algae Warnings and Advisories."
Does anybody care to guess how much revenue has been lost so far by Lake Texoma businesses due to the 2015 flood on the lake?