Friends
of Lake
McQueeney (FOLM)
is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and improving the
quality of Lake McQueeney, Texas, for the enjoyment of all those who
live, work, and play on our Lake.
This site is primarily designed for our members to access
information and news about FOLM and the
Lake, contact board members, and find useful links to other
sites that may be helpful.
Notice: GBRA Now Requires Permit For Stump/Tree Removal
If you wish to cut stumps from the water in the vicinity of your property, check out the new GBRA guidelines and permit requirements here:
GBRA
Initiates Stage II Drought Measures on Hydroelectric Lakes
GBRA
Initiates Stage II Drought Measures on Hydroelectric Lakes
(if
you pump from the lake, this applies to you)
SEGUIN,
TX
- Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) officials on 6/9/11 announced
Stage II restrictions for its HydroelectricLakes
to go into effect
immediately. Restrictions will affect lawn watering, outdoor fountain
use,
vehicle washing and other areas.
According
to the river authority's Drought Contingency Plan, Stage
II applies on any day following a day when the average 24-hour spring
flow rate
from the Comal Springs, when measured at the ComalRiver,
is at or below 200 cubic feet per second (cfs),
but
greater than 150 cfs.
As of Wednesday, June 8, 2011,
Comal Springs flow rate was 184 cfs,
thus triggering
Stage II restrictions.
Critical
period stages apply to any diverter of water other than
contracted stored water that diverts and uses water from any of the
GBRA
Hydroelectric Lakes: Lake
Dunlap (Comal and Guadalupe
counties, Lake McQueeney
(Guadalupe County), Lake Placid
(Guadalupe County), Lake Nolte
(Guadalupe County), H4 or Lake
Gonzales
and H5 or Lake Wood
(both in Gonzales County).
With
Stage II in effect, the following restrictions on the HydroLakes
will apply:
1.)All
of the
prohibitions applicable in Stage I apply in Stage II, except to the
extent
replaced by more restrictive conditions imposed by this stage.
2.)Landscape
watering
is prohibited between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and is further restricted such
that
properties with an odd-numbered address may landscape water only on
Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays, and properties with an even-numbered address
may
landscape water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. However,
landscape
watering by means of a bucket or hand-held or soaker hose, or a
properly
installed drip irrigation system is permitted at any time. This
subsection does
not apply to reclaimed, recycled or reuse water.
3.)No
person may use
water for an ornamental outdoor fountain or similar feature, unless the
water
is recycled and the only additional water used is to compensate for
evaporative
losses.
4.)No
person may wash
a vehicle at other than a commercial vehicle wash facility except over
a
pervious surface area, during the above designated watering days and
times with
a hand-hose with automatic shut-off nozzle or using a bucket.
The
penalty for wasting
water or any violation of Stage II restrictions as determined by the
GBRA
general manager, or his designee, is $100 per day per violation.
Restrictions
from
Stage I already prohibited wasting water from irrigation or vehicle
washing,
and required the use of covers for swimming pools to prevent
evaporation when
not in use.
"During
these
times of drought, it is prudent for all of us to try to be good
stewards and
conserve our water resources," Bill West, GBRA general manager said.
Restrictions
of a
drought contingency Stage may be terminated when the condition listed
as the
triggering event for such Stage has ceased to exist for a period of 30
consecutive days. Upon termination of the restrictions of the
applicable Stage,
the restrictions of the prior Stage become operative.
GBRA's
Drought Contingency Plan is
available to read online at the following link:
Think You Know If Someone Is
Drowning When You See It?
Maybe
Not!
Check
Out This Article For Revealing
Information.
New
GBRA Lake Restrictions
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) has established additional
restrictions on lake use. Here is a summary of the new restrictions:
-No watercraft with sleeping quarters permitted such as houseboats.
-No high performance watercraft, except those with manufactured
mufflers and exhaust or which exit thru the transome.
-No Airboats (except by law enforcement or by permit).
-Boat length can be no more than 24 feet.
-Pontoon boat length can be no more than 28 feet.
-Pontoon airplanes prohibited from lake.
-Ban on towing of inflatable boats, tubes, air mattresses, or
playthings on July 4th, as determined by GBRA.
-Ban on use of personal watercraft (PWC's, jet-skis, wave runners) on
July 4th, as determined by GBRA.
NOTE: These restrictions apply to all 6 of the hydro lakes along the
Guadalupe River.
GBRA
reports that the water flow at the McQueeney Dam peaked at 46,000 cfs
(cubic feet per second). That places the flood level above the 2004
level, approaching the 2002 level. For comparison, the 1998 flood was
over 200,000 cfs. The good news is this flood was of much shorter
duration than the one in 2002.
Normal water flow can range from about 200 to 5000 cfs.
Thanks
to our outstanding working relationship with New Braunfels Utility
(NBU), and based on their latest permit from the Texas Commission On
Environmental Quality (TCEQ), they are making modifications to their
two Kuehler waste water treatment plants that will lower the Phosphate
levels below 3.0 and most of the time they will be closer to 2.0. This
will help with the water quality coming downstream from Lake Dunlap.
This improved treatment should be operational by Sept.-Oct.
After receiving new permits from TCEQ, they will also begin
construction on a new waste water treatment plant on the Highway 46
side of the river just below Lake Dunlap Dam. This new plant will
handle the growth on the east side of the river where major
developments are taking place on the IH 35 corridor. This plant will
take at least three years to come on-line but it will meet strict water
quality standards with very clean effluent.
Go
to our NBU Wastewater News page for more information CLICK
HERE.
Public
Boat Ramp Status
Every
week we get emails asking about the boat ramp situation on the Lake.
Since the closing of McQueeney Marina, there are currently NO public
ramps or private, fee based boat ramps on Lake McQueeney. Existing boat
ramps are either those that belong to various subdivisions for their
residents use or ramps on private property. GBRA is looking at the
situation in conjunction other state agencies as they develop their
Lake Management Plan. We will post any updates on the situation as they
occur.
FOLM partners
with the Guadalupe Basin Coalition in Edwards Aquifer Recovery
Implementation Program (EARIP)
Do
You Move Your Boat To And From Different Lakes?
What
you can’t see can damage your boat and harm Texas lakes.
Zebra
mussels are an invasive species that produce millions of microscopic
larvae that can hide in your boat. Adults reach 1 ½
inches and attach to your boat’s motor, hull and to other
hard surfaces. Zebra mussels can seriously hamper your boat’s
performance and are devastating to our native plants, fish and
wildlife. They also threaten our water supply.
Watch
this short video to learn how you save your boat and our lakes by
preventing the spread of zebra mussels when you properly clean, drain
and dry your boat, trailer and gear.
The rules and regulations to the right were passed during the March 22,
2006 Guadalupe- Blanco River Authority’s Board of Directors
meeting. Representatives from theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department
(TPWD), the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office and Lake- Wide
Associations met with GBRA staff to consider regulations to enhance
water safety regarding the equipment and operation of towed or pulled
recreation devices; and to discuss water-safety issues in general. A
Resolution was drafted and reviewed by the TPWD, Sheriff’s
Office and the Lake-Wide Associations before being presented to the
GBRA Board. The GBRA Resolution establishes rules and regulations for
the equipment and operation of certain recreational devices referred to
as and Regulations For Lake Dunlap, Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid, Lake
Nolte (Meadow Lake), Lake H-4 (Lake Gonzales) and Lake H-5 (Lake Wood)
in Comal, Guadalupe and Gonzales counties.
Special
Traffic Rules For
Treasure Island Bridge
GBRA
has also established
“traffic lanes” under the Treasure Island Bridge.
Click the link below to see the map that shows the
“lanes” for boats and PWCs passing under the
bridge. Any jet ski (PWC) passing under the bridge will be at a no wake
speed. Signage will also be posted on the bridge to designate lanes.
Fishing,
stopping or anchoring within
100 feet of the bridge is prohibited. The
towing of tubes or
other inflatables is prohibited under the bridge.
GBRA's
Resolution plus other
Resolutions currently in place can be found on the GBRA website, www.gbra.org,
under Lake Management.
Note:
GBRA has
restricted traffic upstream by PWC's (jet skis and wave runners) from
the powerhouse across from the Bandit to the Dunlap Dam. See here
for more details.
-
Fixed Ramps, Rails Prohibited The
installation of fixed ramps, rails, or other devices for the use of
riding or sliding with a wake-board is prohibited.
-
Wakesurfing Prohibited
The use of a motor powered boat or PWC to create a wake for use of a
surfboard will be classified as a hazardous wake, and is prohibited. It
is the intent of this restriction to recognize the limited size and
narrow features of the referenced lakes, and the destructive shoreline
affect resulting from a hazardous wake that is required for surfing.
-
Hazardous Wake Prohibited
The intentional use, modification, or operation of a motor powered boat
or PWC to create a wake will be classified as a hazardous wake if the
wake exceeds the level necessary for utilization for recreation, or
causes a wave action that will damage shoreline property and is
prohibited.
-
Towing or Pulling of
Inflatables
A motor powered boat or PWC towing or pulling of an inflatable device,
or other devise known as a “water-toy” herein
referred to as “inflatable” that is attached by
rope or other method to a motor powered boat or PWC must be operated so
that the motor powered boat or PWC AND
the
“inflatable” maintain a minimum distance of 50 feet
from another vessel, the shoreline, or a fixed structure at all times,
except when operating at head-way speed. This regulation does not apply
to an operator or individual pulling or towing a skier or wake-boarder
utilizing a hand-held rope or lanyard.
Violations
of these
regulations is a Class C misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of $25
to $500.
Progress on Control Dam
Comal
County Commissioners approved a $4.8-million contract with Hayward
Baker of Houston for the construction of the cut off wall at the Dry
Comal Creek. After the cutoff wall is complete, and groundwater is
prevented from moving beneath the location of the proposed dam,
construction will resume on the rest of the project. Now that this
contract is in place, with construction starting soon, Commissioners
are hopeful that they are back on track with that project, which must
be mostly complete by this summer in order to receive federal funding.
On behalf of FOLM, Gary Spence thanked the Commissioners in a letter
that can be seen at the KGNB
website.
Click on the links to the left or above to
explore
the site. If you have any suggestions for useful additions to this
site, please go to: Contact
FOLM
Have some fun pictures (old or new) you want
to
share?
If they are related to Lake McQueeney, contact Rick Thelen via the contact page.
We will
try to put new pictures on the site from time to time to keep it
interesting.
email
address:
Friends
of Lake McQueeney • P.O.
Box 781,
McQueeney, Texas, 78123