Toledo Bend
Bi-State
Alliance

By JOSE CARMONA
Staff Writer

According to predictions made by the Sabine River Authority (SRA) of Louisiana, Toledo Bend Reservoir will fall another four feet by the end of October if the regional drought and heat wave, plus the generation of hydroelectricity, continue unchanged.

The continuing drops in depths could spell disaster to local marina owners, which will be unable to launch their boats from their marinas.

Toledo Bend's current water level, a little over 165 feet, is almost seven feet below normal level, which is 172 feet. An additional four feet could produce the lowest recorded depths at this lake in its 29-year history.

Stacey Vandrovec, owner of Huxley Bay Marina and Restaurant, said activity at their marina has not been affected by the low water levels yet. "We even had a fishing tournament last July 25, and it was pretty good." But she expressed concern about the water level going any lower than it already has.

"If it gets any lower, we might have to temporarily close the marina, since it will be too shallow for some of the boats here, she said.

Vandrovec said that August is typically a slow month for the marina, but the restaurant and and hotel that she and her husband Bob own has stayed very busy during the summer. "We have fire crew and fire jumpers, even loggers staying over and eating here while they work in the forest," she said, referring to the dozens of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) personnel working in the Sabine National Forest since the big windstorm last February. USFS crews have been removing thousands of downed trees, plus fighting brush fires during the past several months.
Thomas Harvey, owner of Harvey's Landing in Huxley, said business has been good so far, but it could be a different story if water at the lake drops further from its current level.

"Fishing hasn't been that great, since the fish go to deeper waters when the levels start to go down," he said. "If the water gets lower, we might have to do some work at the ramp."
He added that the low water level has not stopped people from using his facility so far. "The Texas side of the lake is deeper than Louisiana's," Harvey said.

Toledo Bend's water level is going down at a rate of approximately an inch a day, which is pretty fast. Harvey believes the hydroelectric plants at the dam are in part responsible for this, since they won't stop generating power from during the current drought.

The SRA of Texas and Louisiana have contracts with Entergy and Central Louisiana Electric Cooperative (CLECO) to generate power through the two hydroelectric generators at the dam.
"They (Entergy and CLECO) are making a huge profit right now, since it's cheaper to produce electricity from the dam," Harvey said. The cost of a lake-produced megawatt of electricity is about one-fifth of the starting rate for conventional power.

Harvey admitted he didn't receive much business from the USFS crews, even though he has fully furnished facilities. "Other businesses in the area were recommended to the USFS," he said, wondering why his business wasn't.

On the other hand, Toledo Bend's low water level is a plus right now for Bill's Landing in Huxley, since its owners Charlie and Rhonda Chively are about to start digging their boat launch. They plan to make it deeper, in addition to widen and extend the ramp. This will allow bigger boats to be launched from their business. Small boats can still be launched though, despite the low water levels.

According to Rhonda Chively, access to Toledo Bend from her business has not been a problem so far. "AS long as we have access to the creek or river roads, we can get to Toledo Bend, but if the water levels go further down, it might cut off our access to it," she said, adding that fishing has been good, so far, this year.

Shively admitted they received some business from the USFS earlier. "In the beginning we did, not now, since they are currently working farther away, deeper into the forest," she said.

Weather forecasters said predictions for Toledo Bend's fall in depth could be reduced by several days of heavy rains, specially if a decaying hurricane or tropical storm dumps several inches of rain in the lake. They wouldn't speculate on whether this would happen this summer. The recent rains has no effect on the lake's water level.

Despite the forecasts, hydroelectric power production will continue. Entergy and CLECO have refused requests from SRA to cease or slow power production schedules during the present drought, stating they need the power due to high demand. But the companies have indicated that if power demands change, they might consider changing their generation schedules.
Both Entergy and CLECO have ceased power production at the lake during past drought years.

Toledo Bend Reservoir, located on the Texas/Louisiana border, is the largest man-made body of water in the south and the fifth largest in surface acres in the United States. It is controlled by the SRA of Texas and Louisiana. It is 65 miles long, with 1,200 miles of shoreline, covering 185,000 acres. Impounded in 1967 at a cost of $60 million, is considered one of the finest bass fishing places in the world.