How high’s the water, mama?
Let’s just say Lake Pat Cleburne is now officially a river lake.
A river lake is one that pulls from, or feeds, a moving body of water.
Because Lake Pat is full and running over the conservation pool level of 733.5 feet, city water utility superintendent Bill Pannell said, “The lake is feeding the Nolan River, which feeds the Brazos River, which ultimately feeds the Gulf of Mexico, if Whitney lets it go [past the dam].”
Consider that the record low lake level for Lake Pat was 724.85 in October 1984, and that the last time the lake was completely full was May 2008. Ironically, the record Lake Pat low of the last five years was early 2008, when even the bluegills and catfish were sending out for bottled water.
“We came into this year about 1.5 feet down,” Pannell said. “In September, before all the rain, we were 3.1 feet down. Triple digits [temperatures] hit so early in the spring that demand on the system was really high. It was kind of a scary summer.”
Since then, the lake level has risen approximately four feet.
City of Cleburne’s two primary water sources are Lake Pat and Lake Aquilla. The city has access to 5,300 feet of water at Aquilla. Lake Pat’s yield is 5,760 feet.
“We have 9,700 feet at Lake Whitney for the future,” Pannell said. “It’s being engineered to be a filtering plant. What we’ll do is pull the salt out of it, blend it with Aquilla [water] and send it up to Lake Pat through the Aquilla pipeline.”
One would think the drought is finally at an end. Extension agent Chris Schneider is hedging.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Is it?”
Rainfall amounts throughout Johnson County reflect what’s happening at Lake Pat.
According to Cleburne weather recorder Gayle White, Cleburne received 43.14 inches of rain between Jan. 1 and Oct. 26. You can tack on another 0.33 inches from Monday night. Grandview was tops in the county with 46.29 inches from Jan. 1 to Oct. 26, while Burleson reported 42.40.
The sun was shining Tuesday and was expected to be visible through partly cloudy skies today.
The rest of the week, you can open up those umbrellas again.
Showers and thunderstorms are possible tonight, according to forecasters. Chance of rain is 60 percent.
On Thursday, showers and thunderstorms are likely. Chance of rain is 70 percent.
On Thursday night, chance of showers and thunderstorms is 40 percent.
The forecast for Cleburne’s homecoming game Friday night is slightly friendlier. There’s a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning with high temperatures in the upper 60s. Stay tuned.
Johnson County
Lake Pat now a feeder river
- Johnson County
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Stage 2 drought plan still in place
Johnson County Special Utility District will keep its Stage 2 drought plan in place despite this week’s rain.
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Tuesday marks property tax payment deadline
Johnson County Tax Assessor Scott Porter said that Tuesday is the deadline to pay 2011 property taxes without penalties or interest.
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Drought no more
April showers arrived a couple of months early, bringing much needed rain to Johnson County rivers and lakes.
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Number of sex offenders increases
Now might be a good time to talk with your children about stranger danger. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an updated list of the country’s sex offenders this week. The survey showed 747,408 registered sex offenders.
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Council approves trash truck purchases
City plans to switch trash collection from a manual to an automated system should begin in about six months, Cleburne Assistant City Manager David Esquivel said Tuesday night.
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Rain related incidents mild, Cleburne rescue workers say
Heavy rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday spurred several calls to the Cleburne police and fire departments, but resulted in no serious injuries or damage, officials said.
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Finishing touches
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Vendor delays payment for county EOC work
A sub-contractor that helped build the Emergency Operation Center awaits payment from a construction company that claims it’s having financial trouble.
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Head Start seeks help to replace stolen, damaged property
Officials with Cleburne’s Head Start school seek donations to help fund an end-of-school-year party for students.
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Carnegie announces cast for ‘The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940’
Director Dick Helmcamp, retired CHS band director, recently announced the cast for the Greater Cleburne Carnegie Players’ upcoming production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.” The show, set in 1940 in Chappaqua, N.Y., is a who-dun-it with a twist. Think Agatha Christie on steroids.
- More Johnson County Headlines
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Stage 2 drought plan still in place
