# Real Bad News



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Sorry for being so late posting this. As you know by my previous post that I have been following the engineering problems that have arisen with the power project at Lake Livingston.
There was a top level meeting today concerning that problem.
My contact at the dam took the afternoon off to take his wife for a birthday celebration in Houston.
He only returned around 10 PM. 
He did not attend the meeting but was told what transpired by a friend who was there.
When he gave me the news I was shocked. I wanted to know more but he said it would be in the next issue of our local paper.
I remembered that the son of a neighbor worked nights at the paper as the layout/pressman.
So I gave him a call. The item below is what he sent me from the layout room computer.
It says it all. 
I will be going to the site office in the morning to get a face to face report.
I will post again when I know more.

*Lake to be drained,* LIVINGSTON, *March 31, 2014 â€"* At a meeting of the managing directors of East Texas Power (ETP) , Trinity River Committee and the commissioners of Polk, Trinity and San Jacinto counties at the Polk County Community center Monday it was announced that Lake Livingston will be lowered eight feet to facilitate the construction of the new hydroelectric plant. 
Despite the previous assurances that the plant construction would not affect the lake level it appears that has changed. Tom Diggers, construction project manager, stated that recent soil samples have shown that a previously planned coffer dam might not be suitable to prevent a failure of the earthen levee at the dam opening. Installation of the penstock tubes requires a large opening in the dam at the eastern end of the levee. To prevent the uncontrolled flow of water through such an opening it will be necessary to lower the lake level stated Diggers.
Construction is scheduled to start in early May, 2014. The drawn down will begin in about two weeks. Phase one is scheduled to complete in late fall when the lake will be allowed to refill.
Otto Braun, TRA environmental specialist, stated that TRA would work closely with the Texas Wildlife Dept. during the drawn down to insure no fish or wild life is harmed.
William O. Peoples, Trinity county commissioner, inquired if the project might be able to assist local businesses that will be affected by the lowering.
Florence Gates, project public relations officer, stated that the operating charter did not require that a minimum level be maintained. She added that the lake had been lower than four feet at least five times since it was impounded and this lowering would be no different. 
It was agreed that a press release will be made this week and again one week prior to the release of lake water.


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

No f'ing way. I just remodeled a house to sell on Beacon Bay, are you kidding me?


----------



## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Wow, that is shocking news! Stay on top of it , Sunbeam.


----------



## Bass-Tracker (Dec 23, 2013)

This will affect so much more than anyone knows.



.


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

Seriously, my blood pressure is through the roof, when the hell is this happening?


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

I sure as hell hope this is not happening in 2 weeks, if so Trinity Bay is screwed with the runoff, and I get to watch sunflowers grow under the boat dock. I can't even post what I am thinking.


----------



## Bass-Tracker (Dec 23, 2013)

KASH said:


> Seriously, my blood pressure is through the roof, when the hell is this happening?


Construction is scheduled to start in early May, 2014. The drawn down will begin in about two weeks. Phase one is scheduled to complete in late fall when the lake will be allowed to refill.

.


----------



## KevBow (Mar 18, 2011)

Why are they doing all this anyway?


----------



## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

Why it is so bad?


----------



## KevBow (Mar 18, 2011)

Guess there won't be a bulkhead bite for long this year. Will there be anywhere to launch a boat or will the lake be too low?


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

I am never going to believe my luck, just woke up the HO lady and she confirmed it, all boats and jet skis need to be out of hangars in 2 weeks. Anybody want to buy 2 1/2 acres of---lets say water VIEW property?


----------



## CB Aggie (Jan 7, 2014)

So... not April fools? That's going to screw the guides big time. Also my weekends and others weekends/weeks. No town hall or anything about this drastic drop? Couldn't they lower it in the fall-spring when there are way fewer people coming to the lake? This could hurt a decent part of the summer economy. Ridiculously poor timing on their part. Right when fishing is what I believe to be the best of the year. I'm sure at least a few others would agree.


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

How are they going to fill the lake back up, don't tell me we have to wait on rain now, it's been so wet this winter and now we are going to drain the lake--I am about to go to the house now and yell at the trees.


----------



## hopn (Jul 5, 2012)

KASH said:


> How are they going to fill the lake back up, don't tell me we have to wait on rain now, it's been so wet this winter and now we are going to drain the lake--I am about to go to the house now and yell at the trees.


I'm curious myself too, and I honestly I don't think there's any other way to fill a lake short of rain. 8 feet lower, summer heat, bye bye stripers.


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

hopn said:


> I'm curious myself too, and I honestly I don't think there's any other way to fill a lake short of rain. 8 feet lower, summer heat, bye bye stripers.


I am going to Lock and Dam this weekend for sure now, water should be real clear at the falls. I am still thinking about yelling at trees, my dogs are tired of me talking to them.


----------



## Bass-Tracker (Dec 23, 2013)

Here's an article I found on the subject.
Seems to be some changes made to the original statement.

Lake Livingston hydroelectric project

"The most important thing is that the hydroelectric facility will not â€" during construction or after construction â€" at any time affect the level of the lake,"

.


----------



## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Bass-Tracker said:


> Here's an article I found on the subject.
> Seems to be some changes made to the original statement.
> 
> Lake Livingston hydroelectric project
> ...


When was this statement dated????

EIGHT feet ? Puts the level at 123 feet. Anyone ever seen lake that low?


----------



## gemba (May 19, 2010)

This has to be an April Fools joke. If this was supposed to be printed yesterday it would be somewhere online by now. I wonder if TRA will expedite dredging projects now if true.


----------



## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

April 1st today. I sure hope Mr. Sunbeam is practicing his standup routine. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


----------



## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Trying to find historical lake levels since lake was new w/o much luck. However I did find a way to post lake capacity back to 1968 and found lake levels back to 2007. You can see by looking at lake levels vs reservoir capacity that for the correlated data there is no way the lake has been 8 ft low since it filled if I am interpreting the data correctly.

I suppose we could guess what a lake level of 123 would translate to reservoir capacity...doubt if lake has ever been at 123.

Maybe someone has a historic level graph that goes back further than 2007.
Looks like lowest reservoir was around 1989-1990 and in 2006 the lake level only dropped to around 126.5 if you get my thinking. Don't think even 1990 reservoir capacity would translate to a lake level of 123.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/dv?c...014-03-31&site_no=08066190&referred_module=sw


----------



## kellisag (Feb 18, 2010)

I have a feeling this is just an April fools joke but I guess I'm in the minority thinking this would mean a great spawn for the white perch and largemouth next year in all the new growth.


----------



## big D. (Apr 10, 2010)

How low was it when the hurricane came through a few years back?


----------



## big D. (Apr 10, 2010)

I'm pulling what hair I have left, OUT!!!!!!!!!!:headknock


----------



## gemba (May 19, 2010)

I've always enjoyed Sunbeam, but I vote we kick him out if this is a joke!

Not funny at all!




Ok, maybe we can keep him..


----------



## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

I am guestimating a lake level of 123 feet occurred around Jan 1970 --before the lake filled up...


----------



## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

[SIZE="2" Uncool man.[/SIZE]


----------



## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

In all my 70 years on this earth this is the cruelest joke I have ever seen one human being perpetrate upon another----well played grasshoppa!


----------



## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

Oh well, at least I won't lose any dock boards this summer.


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

Some of us have much to learn from our elders.


----------



## redspeck (Jul 3, 2012)

That was awesome!


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

CB Aggie said:


> So... not April fools? That's going to screw the guides big time. Also my weekends and others weekends/weeks. No town hall or anything about this drastic drop? Couldn't they lower it in the fall-spring when there are way fewer people coming to the lake? This could hurt a decent part of the summer economy. Ridiculously poor timing on their part. Right when fishing is what I believe to be the best of the year. I'm sure at least a few others would agree.


Sorry for dragging you down with me, I couldn't be taken down alone--you will figure it out in about 25 years.


----------



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

That's it Mr.Sun Beam no more bread for you:rotfl:.Playing a sick joke like that


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

brucevannguyen said:


> That's it Mr.Sun Beam no more bread for you:rotfl:.Playing a sick joke like that


What in the world Bruce, can you believe :rotfl:


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

I feel bad about taking CB Aggie down with me, but I could not go alone---and he is young, he'll get over it.


----------



## Boomhauer75 (Jan 3, 2010)

Sunbeam,

I have not been posting much the past year but you sir are a genius! That was one of the most well thought out, typed up April fools joke I have ever seen.

I tip my hat to you sir!:rotfl:


----------



## fastattack74 (Mar 28, 2012)

*Tournament*

Anybody else fishin the Texas trail team tournament I know I was gonna . Don't know now if there lowering the lake


----------



## Watersoul (Feb 15, 2013)

Not a funny joke.


----------



## Kickapoo Duke (May 15, 2010)

You realize that now we can never believe anything Sunbeam says again? So--nothing has changed in that regard.


----------



## CB Aggie (Jan 7, 2014)

That was too much for me. There was a lot of time put into this by Sunbeam. Not even posted on April fools! Thank God it was just a cruel joke.


----------



## fedupfisherman (Nov 27, 2013)

Kickapoo Duke said:


> You realize that now we can never believe anything Sunbeam says again? So--nothing has changed in that regard.


 Quite frankly I never believe ANYTHING sunbeam posts. He has been posting nonsense for years. Like his suppose trips to Arkansas for stripper fishing and then posting someone else's pictures as his catch.


----------

