1541
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In search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado leads an expedition into the Brazos basin.
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1821
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Stephen F. Austin obtains
permission from the Spanish Governor of Texas and Coahuila
to explore the country on the Brazos River. Austin is convinced
the land of the Brazos River basin is fertile and begins
plans for colonization.
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1833
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Major flooding occurs and
the Brazos River leaves its banks from Washington to Ringold's
Prairie (near present-day Navasota).
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1836
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Texas Declaration of Independence
is signed at Washington, below the confluence of the Brazos
and Navasota rivers.
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1842
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Major flooding occurs and
Brazos leaves its banks from Washington to Navasota and
widens the river to six miles or more for an extended distance.
The side-wheeler Mustang becomes
the first ship to unload cargo at Washington, fueling the
dreams of men desiring to build an empire based on steamboat
transportation.
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1848
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The Brazos Steam Association
forms and purchases two boats for the purpose of navigation
between Washington and the Gulf of Mexico.
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1854
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A canal between the Brazos
River and Port of Galveston is opened.
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1867
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Lt. Col. S. D. Sturgis reports
to the War Department that the water of the Brazos River
is so briny that not even mules will consume it.
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1890
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Col. William Prather discovers oil near Waco.
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1902
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Leaders from towns and counties
along the river establish the Brazos River Impoundment Association.
The goal of the association is to tame the river. The Association's
efforts are hindered by a lack of financing.
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1905
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The Rivers and Harbors Act
provides funds for the construction of a lock and dam system
between Waco and Washington. Work completed before World
War I was destroyed by the flood of 1913, ending a century-old
dream of a transportation network on the Brazos River.
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1913
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The Guadalupe and Trinity
rivers leave their banks, and the Brazos River and the Colorado
River join to flood more than 3,000 square miles of land
and cause the deaths of at least 177 people and massive
property damage ($3,436,144 in the Brazos Valley alone).
The flood causes the river to change course. It now enters
the Gulf of Mexico at Freeport.
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1915
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The Brazos River and Valley
Improvement Association is formed in Waco with the goal
of harnessing the Brazos River. The Association's efforts
are hindered by a lack of financing.
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1917
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The Conservation Amendment
to the Texas Constitution is passed. Under its provisions
the control, prevention, and distribution of flood and storm
waters becomes the duty of the state and all limitations
which had prevented local financing of flood control projects
were removed.
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1921
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Major flooding brings death
and destruction of greater magnitude than previously experienced.
The floods of 1913 and 1921 are the catalyst, which causes
the state to attempt to tame the Brazos River.
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1923
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The Texas State Legislature
appropriates funds for a survey of all rivers of the state
and analysis of flood and water problems. The study clearly
established the need for a state agency with the necessary
power to carry out the tasks required to harness and control
the Brazos River.
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1929
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The Brazos River Conservation
and Reclamation District is created under Article XVI, Section
59 of the Texas Constitution, to conserve, control, and
utilize to beneficial service the storm and flood waters
of the Brazos River and its tributary streams.
Lands of the Brazos River basin are producing more than 18 million barrels of oil
a year. Oil becomes the backbone of the economy in many
areas of the Brazos River basin.
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1933
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United States Congress passes
the National Industrial Recovery Act, signaling the beginning
of the New Deal and a commitment by the federal government
to restore the economy through massive spending. Title II
of the act creates the Public Works Administration to make
loans and grants to states and other public bodies in order
to stimulate construction.
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1935
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The District completes its
first Master Plan for reservoir development, including a
total of 13 dams on the Brazos River and its tributaries.
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1938
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The District begins construction
of its first dam and reservoir project,Possum Kingdom, on
the main stem of the Brazos River in Palo Pinto County.
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1939
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The United States Congress
broadens the mandate of the United States Army Corps of
Engineers to include construction of multi-purpose flood
controls and water supply projects. The District completes
a revised Master Plan.
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1941
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The District completes Lake
Possum Kingdom, its first reservoir project.
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1951
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A partnership between the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Brazos River Conservation
and Reclamation District, allows the District to acquire
conservation storage space in the nine multi-purpose Corps'
reservoirs to be constructed over the next 30 years.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes Lake Whitney
on the main stem of the Brazos River in Hill, Bosque, and
Johnson counties.
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1952
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The Briscoe Irrigation Company
and the Galveston County Water Company file complaints before
the Texas Railroad Commission concerning the salt pollution
caused by oil and gas operations in the upper watershed.
This results in a Railroad Commission investigation of oil
operators and the issuance of pipeline severances when abuses
were not corrected. Little was accomplished by this effort
to purify the waters of the Brazos River.
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1952-57
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Record drought occurs.
Most Texas counties are declared disaster areas.
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1954
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
completes Lake Belton on the Leon River in Bell County.
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1955
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The name of the District is
officially changed to the Brazos River Authority.
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1961
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Texas A&M completes study
and report revealing that salt contamination in the upper
basin is caused by a subterranean outcropping of salt which
is much larger than originally estimated. The salt bed underlies
and contaminates streams in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
Arkansas, and Kansas.
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1963
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes Lake Proctor
on the Leon River in Comanche County.
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1965
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
completes Lake Waco on the Bosque River in McLennan County.
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1966
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The BRA begins construction of the DeCordova Bend Dam and Lake Granbury in Hood County.
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1966-67
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The BRA acquires
the privately owned American Canal and Briscoe Canal in
the lower basin, as a means of furnishing water to Fort
Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston Counties for rice irrigation,
and industrial and municipal uses.
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1967
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
completes Lake Somerville on Yegua Creek in Burleson and
Washington Counties.
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1968
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
completes Lake Stillhouse Hollow on the Lampasas River in
Bell County.
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1969
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Lake Granbury and DeCordova Bend Dam completed on the
Brazos River in Hood County.
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1971
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The BRA begins operating
the Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System to treat
wastes from the Cities of Waco, Bellmead, Lacy Lakeview,
and Woodway. The treatment capacity of the plant is 17.8
million gallons per day.
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1975
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The BRA begins operating
the Sugar Land Regional Sewerage System to treat wastes
from the City of Sugar Land, the Municipal
Utilities District, the Nalco Chemical Company, and the
Imperial Sugar Company. The treatment capacity of the plant
is 3.9 million gallons per day.
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The BRA begins operating
the Temple-Belton Regional Sewerage System with a total
capacity of 5.0 million gallons per day. The system serves
the City of Belton and the western half of the City of Temple.
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1978
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The BRA completes the Sterling C. Robertson Dam,
which impounds the Navasota River to form Lake Limestone,
the BRA's third reservoir project.
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1979
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The BRA expands the
capacity of the Sugar Land Regional Sewerage System to 6.5
million gallons per day.
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1980
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
completes Lake Granger on the San Gabriel River and Lake
Georgetown on the North Fork San Gabriel River, both are
in Williamson County.
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1983
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
completes Lake Aquilla on Aquilla and Hackberry Creeks in
Hill County.
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1985
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The BRA completes the expansion
and improvement of the Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage
System. The new plant uses an activated sludge process and
has a treatment capacity of 38.5 million gallons per day.
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1986
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The BRA obtains an option from
the Houston Lighting & Power Company (now Reliant Energy)
to acquire the Allens Creek reservoir site.
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1988
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The BRA sells American Canal
and Briscoe Canal to Galveston County Water Authority.
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1989
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The BRA begins operating the
Lake Granbury Surface Water and Treatment System in Hood
County.
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1990
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The BRA expands the Temple-Belton
Regional Sewerage System.
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1991
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The BRA contracts with the
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) to carry
out the Clean Rivers Program within the Brazos River basin.
Major floods occur in the central
part of the basin due to recurring thunderstorms.
The BRA begins the Volunteer
Citizens' Monitoring Program to enhance the public's
knowledge
of local water quality issues, to increase community involvement,
and to improve communication among all parties.
The BRA creates the University
Intern Program to provide opportunities for undergraduate
and graduate students in the Brazos River basin to acquire
practical experience in different aspects of water quality
projects.
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1992
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The BRA enters into a Memorandum
of Understanding with the United States Department of Agriculture
Soil Conservation Services (now the Natural Resources Conservation
Service) for cooperative water quality efforts in the Brazos
River basin.
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1994
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The BRA completes its fourth
reservoir project, Lake Alan Henry in Garza and Kent Counties,
to serve the City of Lubbock.
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1995
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The BRA enters into the Brazos-Colorado
Water Alliance with the Lower Colorado River Authority,
primarily to address water and wastewater issues in the
rapidly growing Williamson County area.
The BRA begins managing operations
at the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System in Williamson
County.
Major flooding occurs in the central
part of the basin due to recurring thunderstorms.
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1996
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The BRA initiates the Basin Monitoring
Program, a strategic, basin-wide water quality data collection
effort.
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1997
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The BRA, along with the USDA-NRCS,
the TNRCC, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,
the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas
Institute for Applied Environmental Research, the City of
Waco, and the City of Clifton collaborated with the U.S.
Corps of Engineers to conduct the Middle Brazos Reconnaissance
Study. The ecological health of the North Bosque River watershed
and other watersheds in the middle Brazos River basin was
assessed to determine the natural resources lost due to
changes in land use and restorative measures appropriate
for the area.
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1998
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Tropical Storm Charley affected the
Lower Brazos River watershed. Most of the flooding occurred
in in the Rio Grande River basin causing 13 deaths and $50
million in damages.
A major flood event occurs in Central
Texas after 30 inches of rainfall in a few hours. The Little
River experiences the fifth largest discharge in its history.
Flooding also occurs in the South Fork San Gabriel watershed,
and the Mill Creek watershed. Property damage of $750 million
and 29 deaths were reported primarily in the Colorado and
Guadalupe river basins.
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1999
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The BRA assumes operation of
the City of Hutto's wastewater treatment plant. The project
is a joint effort of the Brazos-Colorado Water Alliance
and the city.
The BRA exercises its option
to purchase the Allens Creek reservoir site from Reliant
Energy.
The BRA contracts with the EPA
to conduct the Brazos/Navasota Watershed Management Project,
a multi-phase approach to water quality management, with
a twofold objective of proactively protecting water quality
while supporting economic development.
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2000
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BRA staff participating in the
Middle Brazos Feasibility Study, Phase II of the U.S. Corps
of Engineers Middle Brazos Study, conduct pre-construction
analysis of possible remediation measures, such as wetlands,
reforestation, and conservation easements, to improve water
quality and aquatic habitat.
The BRA contracts with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission to perform the Clean Rivers water quality monitoring program in
the basin.
As part of Texas Senate Bill 1, the BRA joins
the Brazos G Regional Water Planning Group as administrative agent.
The BRA begins replacement of the flood gates of the Morris
Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake. The project will last nine
years. At the same time, the BRA begins rehabilitation of
the 16 gates at the DeCordova Bend Dam at Lake Granbury. The
rehab included the installation of new electric gate hoists.
The BRA begins operations for the Clute/Richwood Regional
Wastewater System.
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2001
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Construction of a new Central Office building
in Waco is completed.
The BRA, along with the Lower Colorado River
Authority, opens the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant. The 4.0 million
gallon per day plant provides potable drinking water to the City of Leander
and surrounding areas.
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2002
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The BRA purchases the Kerr-McGee pipeline.
The 57-mile pipeline, now dubbed the West Central Brazos Water Distribution
System, had once been used to transport water for oil drilling now serves
as a means to provide water to areas of west Texas.
The BRA and Poseidon
Resources sign a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate the possibility of a
large-scale seawater desalination project.
The BRA contracts with the
Lee County Fresh Water Supply District Number 1 for its first retail water
and wastewater utility service. Some 150 homes and businesses in the city
of Dimebox receive both potable water and wastewater treatment services.
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2003
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The BRA signs a major contract with
the City of Georgetown to become the wastewater treatment services
provider for the city's six treatment plants.
The BRA receives
grant funding from the Texas Water Development Board to study the
feasibility of a seawater desalination project.
The BRA sells
the Waco Metropolitan Sewerage Plant (WMARSS) to the customer cities.
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2004
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The Brazos River Authority purchases a
potable water drinking plant from the City of Taylor beginning
a $17.4 million expansion of the plant.
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2005
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The BRA transferred ownership and
operational responsibilities for Lake Alan Henry to the
City of Lubbock. The transfer of bond holdings successfully
completed the contract between the City and the Authority for
completion of a water supply lake for the city.
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2006
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The BRA begins operation of
the Williamson County Raw Water Line between Lake Stillhouse
Hollow and Lake Georgetown.
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2007
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BRA Water Services drafts changes to the System Drought Contingency Plan. The BRA Board of Directors approves
the updated plan in July. The plan updates drought stage triggers to provide reasonable timing between implementation of drought stages.
The triggers also take into account combined volumes for the lakes Possum Kingdom-Granbury-Whitney and the lakes Stillhouse Hollow-Georgetown
reservoir systems.
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2008
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Construction is completed in March on the expansion of the East Williamson County Regional Water System.
The system relays water from Lake Granger to five areas including Taylor, Jonah Special Utilities District, the cities of Hutto and
Thrall and Nowak Water Supply Company. The expansion increases the plant's capacity from 5.3 million gallons per day (mgd) to 12.8 mgd,
and is part of the development of a long-term regional treated water system for Williamson County.
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2009
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In April, the BRA awards a bid for a third-party sale of most residential and selected commercial leases at Possum Kingdom Lake to Patterson PK Land Partnership,
LTD. The state also passes legislation to validate the third-party sale.
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2010
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Working with various stakeholders, the BRA completes the Lake Granbury Watershed Protection Plan (WPP). This locally developed plan is designed to reduce bacterial
impairments in all parts of Lake Granbury that do not meet state water quality standards (primarily older man-made canals serving residential developments) or the local stakeholder
goal. Grants to help fund the plan's goals are obtained in 2011.
The BRA completes the final phase of the Possum Kingdom Lake Hike and Bike Trails System. The third, 5-mile addition links the 11 miles of Phases I and II to area campgrounds
and parks. Funding for trail development is provided on a cost-share basis through grants with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The Board votes in November to decommission the Lake Possum Kingdom hydroelectric plant and staff notifies the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of the intent to
surrender the license. The facility has not generated power since 2007 due to issues related to the integrity of the penstocks that carry lake water to the hydroelectric turbines.
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2011
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The Brazos basin continues to suffer through a record-breaking drought. The 12 months from October 2010 through September 2011 are the
hottest and driest in more than 100 years. Seven of the BRA's 11 reservoirs reach all-time low levels.
The BRA completes ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis modifications and additions to the potable water treatment plant at the Lake Granbury Surface Water and
Treatment System, bringing the rated capacity to 13 million gallons per day.
The BRA files its Surrender of License Application for the Possum Kingdom Lake hydroelectric plant with FERC in July, after submitting it to pertinent state
and federal agencies for review.
In April, the BRA Board of Directors approves the Possum Kingdom-Granbury-Whitney Water Management Plan and introduces it to the public at meetings at Lakes Granbury
and Possum Kingdom. The new plan adjusted the ratio of levels between the lakes to better balance adverse impacts that may be experienced during drought.
Large wildfires in April and August devastate much of the land around Lake Possum Kingdom. Together, the fires burn more than 133,000 acres and destroy more than 330
structures, including homes around the reservoir.
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2012
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Transfer of ownership, operations and personnel at the Granbury Surface Water
and Treatment System from the BRA to Granbury was completed on May 31, 2012.
After owning and operating the Temple-Belton Wastewater Treatment Plant for
38 years, the BRA struck an agreement with the cities, transferring ownership
of the plant to them. The BRA continues to manage operations of the regional plant.
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2013
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The Texas State Water Plan received a long needed financial boost when voters approved
State Proposition 6. This amendment to the Texas Constitution allowed for the creation
of the State Water Implementation Fund with $2 billion budgeted to help fund the water
plan’s 562 proposed projects. These funds act as “seed money” for loans to help pay a
project’s costs.
The 83rd Texas Legislature passes Senate Bill 918, allowing the BRA to sell its remaining
residential and commercial leases that were not covered by House Bill 3031, passed by the
81st Texas Legislature.
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2014
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On March 12, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Brazos River Authority’s
surrender of its license to operate the Lake Possum Kingdom hydroelectric plant. With that
approval, the 73-year-old plant was officially decommissioned.
The BRA partnered with other state and local organizations to conduct a flood study in the
lowest portions of the Brazos River basin. The flood protection planning study was initiated
with the help of a $514,783 state grant and matching funds from local governments and
organizations. The project was created to study flooding issues from the Grimes/
Waller county line to the Gulf of Mexico. That area’s population is booming, yet
floodplain information has been lacking or outdated.
On May 13, 2014, the Brazos River Authority delivered the updated Water Management Plan to the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) after it was amended to incorporate the Texas Senate
Bill 3 Environmental Flow Standards for the Brazos River basin adopted by the TCEQ. The WMP and related System Operation Permit are an effort by the BRA
to address current and future basin water supply needs in a cost-effective and
environmentally-sensitive manner. If granted, the permit will appropriate a new,
reliable supply of water for municipalities, industry, agricultural and mining interests
within the Brazos basin without the costly and time-consuming construction of new reservoirs.
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2016
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On August 23, the TCEQ approved the System Operations Permit making additional water available for use in the Brazos River basin. Approximately 100,000 acre-feet of additional water can be supplied as a result of the permit.
In 2016, ownership of the West Central Brazos Water Distribution System, acquired by the BRA as a means of delivering water westward from Possum Kingdom Lake to meet municipal and industrial needs in the region, was transferred to the West Central Texas Municipal Water District.
The divestiture of leasehold properties at Possum Kingdom was completed with the successful sale and disposition of the legislatively mandated properties in March 2016.
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2017
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The BRA became actively engaged in a conjunctive use groundwater project in Williamson County with a demonstration project to determine the feasibility of blend groundwater from the Trinity Aquifer, which underlies much of eastern Williamson County, with treated Lake Granger surface water from the BRA’s East Williamson County Regional Water System. A test well was drilled and water quality testing conducted. The BRA began construction during of a Trinity Aquifer production well that will increase the available water for Williamson County.
The BRA’s System Operation Permit Drought Study was completed and filed with the TCEQ in June 2017. The conclusions of the study noted that the Upper Basin experienced conditions worse than those in the drought of the 1950’s, while the remainder of the basin and reservoirs did not.
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2018
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After many years working to obtain the System Operation Permit, the final permit became uncontestable in September 2018. The contracting of additional water supply under the permit will begin with fiscal year 2020.
The BRA completed its first Trinity Aquifer groundwater production well in calendar year 2018. The well is the first in a series that will be used conjunctively with surface water from Lake Granger and the BRA’s East Williamson County Water Treatment Plant. The project creates additional water supply to serve the rapidly growing Williamson and Bell County areas along the Interstate 35 corridor.
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2019
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In 2014, the BRA and several partner organizations were awarded funding by the Texas Water Development Board to study the lower Brazos River floodplain. The study would focus on flooding issues from the Grimes/Waller county line to the Gulf of Mexico. Headed by the engineering firm of Halff and Associates, the study was nearly complete when Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast, dropping more than 60 inches of rainfall. The BRA Board of Directors approved additional funding for the study to continue, allowing for information from the hurricane to be included. The final report was completed in March 2019.
Since the early part of the century, the fight to slow the spread of zebra mussels, an invasive non-native mollusk, throughout the southern states had escalated. The BRA joined with other river authorities and water providers in a campaign to educate the public in efforts to slow the spread into the Brazos River basin. In 2016, the mollusk was found in the BRA System’s Lake Belton. In 2017, zebra mussels were found in Lake Stillhouse Hollow, temporarily halting use of the Williamson County Regional Raw Water Line to transport water to Lake Georgetown. Following meetings with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the pipeline owners, use of the line resumed when needed in 2018. To date, the mollusks have also been found in Lakes Georgetown and Granger within the BRA System of water supply reservoirs.
The water right permit for the proposed Allens Creek Reservoir was amended by the Texas Legislature in 2011 to require that construction commence by 2025 with completion by 2028. In 2017, the BRA informed the City of Houston of its intent to begin environmental permitting and preliminary design. As the BRA moved forward with the permitting portion of the project, the City of Houston became reticent and then resistant to the project, noting they had no immediate need for the water. Following more than a year of failed negotiations to buy out the city’s right in the permit, the BRA backed legislation proposed by several lower Brazos basin customers to force the City of Houston to sell their interest in Allens Creek Reservoir. The legislature passed the bill for a required sale of $23 million which was later signed into law by Governor Abbott.
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