Lake Hubbard Creek, between Breckenridge and Albany, has served the area for water supply ever since it was built. I can't really recall what year that was, but I have been driving across the bridge for years between Graham and Abilene. In normal years, the water would be all the way to the top of the piers, almost to the road bed. Year after year, as the lake has dropped lower, the boat docks got lower until now you can't put a boat in the water any more.
The slight gray-green between the water and the tree line used to be water, and all of the area up to the fence was lake. I have no idea how deep the lake actually might be at this time, but from the looks of this picture, only a few feet.
On this side of the bridge, the water extended up to the tree line, and filled all of the area between the small rise next to the mesquite tree.
Cattle are grazing where the water used to be. Not only has the recreational aspect ended (it was a big skiing and fishing lake), I keep wondering where all the towns get their drinking water...and wondering when it will end. If you want to read an excellent book about Texas drought consequences, read Elmer Kelton's West Texas fiction book,
The Time it Never Rained. I think it was probably his best work ever.
2 comments:
You reminded me that I need to drive out to Medina Lake. It is down around 80 feet, if I remember correctly. I especially want to see the damn...several years ago we had serious floods and they thought water would go over it or break it. Not so now. The drought doesn't seem to have an end.
Folks may recall that the drought that precipitated the Dust Bowl lasted for years. Part of those consequences were not having taken care of the land in the farming process, some probably from lack of knowledge, and some from greed. We seem to have difficulty with causality.
The rain yesterday was welcome and needed, but it will take more than this to ever fill up those lakes again, and I do fear it won't happen.
Post a Comment