Lake Texoma Water Rights

 

Source: Excerpt from Tulsa District, Corps of Engineers Volumetric Survey of Lake Texoma, conducted by the Texas Water Development Board, 4/14/2003.

Note: The first paragraph of the study does not list Public Law 100-71, July 11, 1987 which restricts lake levels.

LAKE HISTORY AND GENERAL INFORMATION
Denison Dam and appurtenant structures are owned by the U. S. Government and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District. Authorization for the Lake Texoma Project was granted under several federal legislative acts beginning with the Flood Control Act approved June 28, 1938, Project Document HD 541, 75th Congress, 3rd Session (flood control and power). The latest federal legislation pertaining to Lake Texoma was Public Law 662, 99th Congress, 2nd Session that was approved November 17, 1986. The purpose of the legislation was to add recreation as a project purpose and authorized reallocation of additional storage for water supply. www.swt.usace.army.mil/projects/pertdata/laketexoma/laketexoma.htm

The states of Texas and Oklahoma have granted authorization to individuals and entities for water rights to Lake Texoma. These individuals and entities entered into contracts with the USACE for storage in Lake Texoma. Major water rights holders in the state of Texas are as follows:

Red River Authority of Texas currently holds water rights under Certificate of Adjudication 02-4898 (Water Rights Permit No. 2969A) to impound and utilize water in Lake Texoma between elevations 590.0 ft to 617.0 ft. The owner is authorized to divert and use 250 acre-feet (ac-ft) of water per annum for irrigation use, 1,650 ac-ft of water for municipal purposes and 100 ac-ft of water per annum for mining purposes. Red River Authority of Texas also has water rights under Certificate of Adjudication 02-4899 (Permit No. 2295) to impound 450 ac-ft of water in Lake Texoma and can divert and use 250 ac-ft of water per annum for municipal purposes (Texas Water Commission 1987, Certificate of Adjudication 02-4898 and 02-4899).

The City of Denison currently owns water rights to Lake Texoma under Certificate of Adjudication 02-4901 (Permit No. 1622). Authorization is granted to impound 24,400 ac-ft of water in Lake Texoma and to divert and use this amount for municipal purposes (Texas Water Commission 1987, Certificate of Adjudication 02-4901).

Greater Texoma Utility Authority was issued water rights under Permit No. 4301 on February 9, 1987. Greater Texoma Utility District is authorized to use 15,000 ac-ft of water annually for municipal purposes and 10,000 ac-ft of water annually for industrial purposes (Texas Water Commission 1987, Permit No. 4301).

Certificate of Adjudication 02-2410A (Permit No. 5003) was issued to North Texas Municipal Water District on January 15, 1986 (Texas Water Commission 1986 Certificate of Adjudication 02-2410A). Authorization was granted to divert 84,000 ac-ft of water annually from Lake Texoma via pipeline to West Prong Sister Grove Creek to transport Lake Texoma water to Lake Lavon and to divert and use not to exceed 77,300 ac-ft of water of Lake Texoma water from Lake Lavon for municipal purposes.

Texas Utilities (formerly Texas Utilities Electric Company) was granted water rights and currently holds Certificate of Adjudication 02-4900 (Permit No. 1939B). The owner is permitted to impound 16,400 ac-ft of water in Lake Texoma and divert and use 10,000 ac-ft of water annually for industrial (cooling) purposes (Texas Water Commission 1987, Certificate of Adjudication 02-4900).

The State of Oklahoma has issued water rights permits to 22 individuals and entities authorizing the use of 4,376 ac-ft of water per annum for irrigation purposes. Only 13 ac-ft of water per year from Lake Texoma is used by four entities in Oklahoma for municipal water supplies (Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Lake Texoma Reservoir Summary).

Lake Texoma is located in the Red River Basin; therefore, is under the jurisdiction of the Red River Compact by Act of Congress, Public Law No. 346 (84th Congress, First Session). The states associated with the Red River Compact are Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. As stated in Article I, Section 1.01, Chapter 46 of the “Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated Water Code (West Group, 2000), the principal purposes of the compact are:

1. To promote interstate comity and remove causes of controversy between each of the affected states by governing the use, control and distribution of the interstate water of the Red River and its tributaries.
2. To provide an equitable apportionment among the Signatory States of the water of the Red River and its tributaries.
3. To promote an active program for the control and alleviation of natural deterioration and pollution of the water of the Red River Basin and to provide for enforcement of the laws related thereto;
4. To provide the means for an active program for the conservation of water, protection of lives and property from floods, improvement of water quality, development of navigation and regulation of flows in the Red River Basin; and
5. To provide a basis for state or joint state planning and action by ascertaining and identifying each state’s share in the interstate water of the Red River Basin and the apportionment thereof.

The clearing of the lake basin started August 22, 1939. Construction for the project was completed in 1943 and deliberate impoundment of water began on October 31, 1943. The lake level reached the top of the conservation pool elevation (cpe) of 617.0 ft for the first time on March 15, 1945. This was also the first time that hydroelectric power was generated (TWDB 1966). The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District was the design engineer. The estimated project cost was $78,000,000 (TWDB 1974).

Original design information shows the Denison Dam embankment is 15,200 ft long with a maximum height of 165 ft above the original streambed. The crest of the dam is at elevation 670.0 ft. Texas Highway 75-A (a two-lane asphalt road) occupies the dam’s crest. The dam is a rolled-earth embankment composed of mostly impervious material and has rock riprap on the upstream face for erosion control.

The spillway for Lake Texoma consists of an approach channel, an uncontrolled concrete ogee crest and a gravity chute-type structure. The 2,000-ft long crest is at elevation 640.0 ft and is located in a saddle on the south (right) bank near the dam.

The outlet works are designed with an intake structure and service bridge (located immediately upstream of the dam near the south abutment). There are eight 20-ft diameter reinforced concrete conduits that are 800 ft long with invert elevation of 523.0 ft. The conduits extend through the embankment and discharge releases into and stilling basin and discharge channel. Three of the eight conduits are dedicated for required downstream releases and floodwater releases. The three conduits are controlled by six 9-ft by 9-ft vertical lift gates and one emergency gate. The remaining five conduits are steel-lined penstocks designed for the delivery of water for hydroelectric power. Presently, two turbines and two 35,000 kW generators are in operation. Surge tanks for the two operating units are located on the downstream side of the dam.

The original design information for Lake Texoma was reported in a 1942 elevation-area­capacity table furnished by the USACE. The total storage capacity (volume) was 3,197,980 ac-ft of water with a surface area of 96,590 acres at pool elevation 617.25 ft. Several re-surveys were performed in the following years on Lake Texoma. Results of a 1985 sediment survey showed that Lake Texoma had a total storage capacity of 2,602,430 ac-ft of water and a surface area of 87,533 acres at pool elevation 617.25 ft. Table 4 provides more information on the area and capacity of Lake Texoma based on the past sedimentation studies and the 2002 volumetric survey results.

The USACE, Tulsa District considers the cpe for Lake Texoma to be 617.0 ft, but for various reasons, the lake level is operated at different elevations throughout the year. Table 1 demonstrates the seasonal elevations the lake level is operated during normal conditions.

Table 1. Lake Texoma Seasonal Operating Lake Elevations

Date	Seasonal Pool Plan
Jan. 1	617.07
Feb. 15	615
May 1	615
Jun. 1	619
Jul. 15	619
Aug. 20	617
Sep. 10	616.5
Oct. 1	616.5
Nov. 1	618.5
Dec. 1	618.5
Dec. 31	617.12

The USACE, Tulsa District considers the “active pool” of conservation storage is between elevations 617.0 ft and 590.0 ft. Between elevations 590.0 ft and 523.0 ft is considered the “inactive pool”. Any capacity below elevation 523.0 ft (elevation of the lowest invert) is considered “dead pool”. The following table summarizes information for Denison Dam and Lake Texoma.

Owner of Denison Dam and Facilities
United States of America

Operator of Denison Dam and Facilities
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

Engineer and General Contractor
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

Location
Denison Dam is located on the Red River, 5 miles north of Denison, Texas. The lake inundates portions of Grayson and Cooke Counties, Texas and Marshall, Love and Bryan Counties, Oklahoma.

Drainage Area
39,719 square miles (5,936 square miles probably non-contributing)

 

Dam

Type	Earthfill
Length (total)	15,200 ft
Maximum Height	165 ft
Top width	40 ft

 

Spillway

Type	Ogee (Concrete)
Length	2,000 ft
Crest elevation	640.0 ft
Control	None

 

Outlet Works

Type	3 conduits for water release 5 conduits for water to turbine
Size	20-ft diameter by 800 ft long
Control	6 gates, Vertical lift
Invert elevation	523.0 ft above msl

 

Reservoir Data (Based on TWDB 2002 volumetric survey)

Feature	Elevation (Ft. above msl)	Volume (Ac-ft)	Area (Acres)
*Upper Limits of 2002 TWDB Volumetric Survey Conservation Storage	620.0	2,779,641	84,911
(Top of Active Pool)	617.0	2,516,232	74,686
(Top of Inactive Pool)	590.0	1,048,949	40,434
Dead Pool (lowest outlet)	523.0	12	7
*Includes the active storage of Cumberland Pool with a volume of 4,592 ac-ft of water (between elev. 619.0 – 620.0 ft) and a surface area of 4,858 surface acres (at elev. 620.0 ft).

Note: According to a Corps representative in 1987, the following unverified comparison is made;
“Acre feet of water is the term being used to describe volumes involved. One acre foot of water is one acre (43,560 square feet) of water one foot deep which is the same as same as 43,560 cubic feet of water. Now most people do not talk about cubic feet of water, they talk about gallons. So, one cubic foot contains 7.481 gallons.

The 75,000 acre feet per year allocation mentioned repeatedly contains 24.44 billion gallons. That is billion, not million, which seems like an awfully lot, but comparatively really is not. It is the approximate amount of water required to operate both generators for three and one-half days.”

Persons concerned about loss of water due to lake water intakes state that most of the above water intake releases can occur during the months when the Lake Texoma levels are the lowest such as July, August and September. The cumulative effects of all water intakes over a time period must be considered also.