Lake level rises above drought stage

Heavy rains lifted Lake Cooper by six feet in ten days, bringing the water level above drought conservation levels for the first time in two years, Public Works Director Michael Jacoba told the City Council on May 6.

The lake level was at 1,139 feet or 84 percent of capacity on May 13 and the water was still running, Mr. Jacoba said. “I would say by tomorrow morning we should be pretty close to 90 percent,” he said.

Mayor Rue Rogers pointed out that the lake was at 55 percent capacity in April. At the next meeting, the Council will consider whether to lift the Phase 2 drought declaration that it imposed in July of 2022, Mayor Rogers said.

The City moved into Phase 2 of its Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan and began drawing water from Lake Kickapoo to fill the reservoir at Lake Cooper as the result of a heat wave and lake of rain. The lake level at the time was 1134 feet, or 66 percent full.

Phase 2 restricts lawn watering and other outdoor watering and washing to Saturday, Monday and Thursday for odd-numbered street addresses or addresses south of State Highway 114.

Even-numbered street addresses and those north of State Highway 114 may water Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. No watering is allowed Wednesday, or between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The recent rainy weather also has the Public Works Department “mowing like crazy,” Mr. Jacoba said. The City had to wait for winds to die down on May 13 to spray the street to control a bumper crop of mosquitos, Police Chief Dan Birbeck told the Council.

On Monday, City Administrator Simon Dwyer reported that the lake level reached 1,139.5 feet, or 86 percent of capacity.