Dear PLDA members,
PLDA has been hard at work towards our mutual goal of restoring our property values on and around the lake, and this week, we have several news items to report.
1) River Mapping. As noted last week, a river mapping agency (FishViews.com) volunteered to kayak the length of Lake Dunlap, taking 360 degree photos, gathering water quality data on a range of factors, and using GPS to extensively document the new river banks and the new hazards. We see this study as a key document in our efforts to secure a water district for Lake Dunlap. You can see the map here: https://tours.fishviews.com/public/lake-dunlap#264
The wonderful folks at Fish Views added this info to go with the map and data:
When we compare the water quality measurements to tours we have further up the Guad, we don’t see any major differences. We tend to pay particular attention to dissolved oxygen, pH, and total dissolved solids. This makes sense because the water coming down is coming from the same source.
A couple buttons to push to maximize what you can see from the tour:
Click the “-“ sign on the base map (on the right) so the entire blue line shows.
Click the graph button on the tool bar (bottom left group of buttons, picture that looks like a mountain).
Select the parameter you want to look at (it may take a couple seconds to populate). This will give you a synoptic view of the whole tour so you can look at anomalies. You can click on a spike, and it will take you to that location on the map. For example, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, and Total Dissolved Solids all have a low spike at location number 144. This corresponds to a boat ramp.
2) River Clean Up. Also noted last week, but worth mentioning again is that Gruene Environmental Companies with the help of P.L.D.A Board of Directors has organized a "Lake Dunlap Clean Up" for Saturday, July 27th, beginning at 8 am. Here are the details:
The main location is 499 East Klein Road in New Braunfels.
The group is looking for volunteers, especially people who may have boats on the water, including kayaks, canoes, and any motorized vessels. If you don't have a boat, that is OK, as the group can arrange to get you to a location to help with the cleanup.
As in past years, there will be music, boats working, and lots of people having a good time. For more info, or to sign up, contact Matt Pustka at 830-822-6595 or mpustka@grueneenviro.com
3) Weed mats. Before the dam broke, the biggest issue for the PLDA was working with the city to stop the weed mats from Landa Lake from being released into the river. We want all members to know that this effort continues and has made significant progress. A demo of a weed removal system mounted on a small boat was held on Landa Lake a couple of weeks ago for the city council and the PLDA Board. The system is very effective, and removed quite a bit of weeds in just the short time of the demo. All of the weeds that were removed were examined by a biologist, and no traces of any endangered species were found.
A second, more comprehensive demo is planned in the next couple of weeks, and a report back to us and the city is planned at the point. We're optimistic that this system will allow the city to effectively solve this problem.
4) Canal Construction Update. Work on the revisions to the hydro electric canal has been causing quite a bit of noise for homeowners near the dam, as have the pumps that are running 24/7 to fulfill GBRA's water contracts with surrounding cities. We've been informed that this work will be completed by September 1, and at that point the pumps will be removed and that and the construction noise should be over.
5) Lake Dunlap Restoration Proposal. A number of key meetings have taken place between GBRA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (essentially GBRA's bosses) to explore our proposal. Initial feedback looks very promising, and our new Advisory Committee is hard at work drafting the application package. Our timeline has us looking for approval for the water district by (or before) November this year.
By that time, our engineering subcommittee will also have completed its review of all the recommendations and reviews of systems done by the GBRA, and we should have a firm handle on costs and other factors related to the financial aspects of the plan. This is a very ambitious timetable, but everyone involved is committed to reaching this milestone by November.
6) Texas Parks and Wildlife. On July 23, 2019, Texas Parks and Wildlife will tour the lake end to end with GBRA to assess what might need to be done to retard possible overgrowth on the river banks. We'll keep you apprised of any developments as soon as we know any more.
For the latest and most accurate information about our lake, please continue to advise friends and neighbors to watch the PLDA.org website. PLDA members will get a direct email once a week with the latest updates.
We very much appreciate your support as we work on maintaining and restoring our lake. As always, PLDA is committed to moving forward in the spirit of collaboration, community, and full transparency.
J Harmon President PLDA jrharmon123@yahoo.com
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