Illegal dam reporting on the rise in Central TX, state agencies say
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Published 2024-05-03
After the demolition of a dam state agencies deemed illegal along the James River, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Equality (TCEQ) both say that the number of reports of illegal dams and impoundments is on the rise.
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All Comments (21)
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Water flows downstream to the ocean, seems to me that you want to capture as much as possible upstream to recharge the aquifers and prevent flash flooding. You really need a bunch of beavers on the rivers. Texas gets plenty of rain, you just need to save it for the dry season and dry years. Smaller dams are better that big ones at storing water, creating green spaces and recharging the ground water over a larger area.
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Is that a one time $5000 fine, and then that's the end of it? Some people will just factor that in as a fixed cost and continue building.
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This isn't anything new. I've been noticing this for years. I'm a geography and nature nerd and I scan Google earth for hours. I constantly come across these. Everywhere there's a stream/creek somewhere along it a landowner built a dam. You ever wonder why all those creeks you used to go fishing at a decade or more ago are all bone dry now. I can get on Google earth right now and find 100 of these just like that.
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Sounds like a good old-fashioned water range war! 😮
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Makes me wonder what do these state government agencies actually do and which politicians are taking bribes and where is the taxpayers money actually going to and who's pockets
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Cartels do this in Northern Cali all the time.
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Employ beavers to build dams.. Beaver dams provide habitat for lots of other animals, clear the water downstream and are good for the environment.
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The water problem is more an issue of too many people in areas with limited water resources…. Parts of Texas have the same problem as the desert Southwest. Does it make sense to have large cities and large agribusiness operations in areas that are either desert or prone to cyclical, seasonal drought?
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Seems like with the drought we could use more dams. Perhaps we need some education to help people know how to build a proper and legal dam. But, considering the government is involved, it probably takes years, which is why desperate people do desperate things.
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Do you see the Paper problem here? These Ranchers provide anti-drought solutions for wildlife!....
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Those Damn beavers!
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They shouldn't allow people to dig out ceeeks just to make a pond in their front yard. Tons of these and you see the rives drying up. Pipe creek, Privilege creek and the Medina river quit flowing every year now, much less all the creeks along county roads. Politicians haven't bothered to learn from the more populated areas what happens when the water runs out
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For 2 years the Austin water supply has been decreasing and only now the State has started paying attention. SMH
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This is the whole dam problem.
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There are ways to put swales and ponds on land to slow rain runoff and encourage plant and tree growth. There are videos on YouTube about how to do that. It is a more effective and more lasting solution than damming a stream illegally and seeing the government destroy it.
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Have you seen Lake Travis ? Going on three years plus with the Lake down 30 ft +?
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In Florida we call these retention ponds. Captures runoff. Waterways are not being dammed, they’re capturing runoff at a limited capacity. Noticed they didn’t mention that during droughts, there is no runoff.
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The Governor needs to stop this. As for the city/town that is responsible, they need to be held accountable. The folk that loose their property need to hold these cities/towns accountable. Why should these taxpayers always have to fix what these officials made bad choices on?
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Use helicopters fly along the waterways and check for them.
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No they where not there 50 through the 80’s. It’s been done recently by people moving here that think they own the rivers that flow through the property.
