FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2019

Contact: Jessica Beemer (832) 393-3008

Tropical Storm Imelda: Lake Houston Lake Lowering

Houston, TX - Council Member Dave Martin would like to make Lake Houston Area residents aware all gates on the Lake Houston Spillway Dam are now open due to the escalation of Tropical Depression 11 turning in to Tropical Storm Imelda. The normal pool elevation of Lake Houston is 42.5 feet and the current level of Lake Houston is 41.3 feet. To monitor the conditions on Lake Houston please use the official Coastal Water Authority (CWA) site here. The level of Lake Houston has been lowered to a level of 41.5 feet since February for a planned maintenance project but will be lowered effective immediately to reach  a level of 40.9 feet, which is 19 inches lower than normal pool elevation. Property owners living on Lake Houston should secure property along the shoreline. 

This additional lowering is in response to the development of Tropical Storm Imelda earlier this afternoon. While the impact to Lake Houston is predicted to be 3 to 7 inches of rain over the next three days there are isolated instances where rain amounts could reach between 10 to 15 inches. Lake Houston receives rain through tributaries from the north, west, and east, which will continue to impact our area long after the rain leaves the immediate areas around Lake Houston. The City of Houston and the CWA monitor each incoming weather system around the clock and will make adjustments as necessary. All gates will remain open until the inclement weather threat leaves the area. After the weather threat has passed, gates will stay open until a level of 41.5 feet is reached allowing for the planned maintenance project to resume.

Additionally, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) has completed their additional seasonal lake lowering of Lake Conroe that is in effect until November 1, 2019. Lake Conroe is now operating at a lake level of approximately 198 feet which is three feet lower than their normal operating level of 201 feet. This reduction adds additional capacity to Lake Conroe during what has historically been the busiest month of hurricane season. We appreciate these efforts taken by the SJRA to increase storage capacity of their lake. This seasonal lake lowering on Lake Conroe was implemented in August 2018. The level of Lake Conroe can be observed on the SJRA website. 

Additional resources residents can use during inclement weather can be found by visiting the City of Houston's Office of Emergency Management Website as well as the Harris County Flood Warning System's Website.

For more information, please contact the District E office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at  [email protected] .
 
 -end-