FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a public meeting on July 14 to receive public input as it prepares to update and revise the Master Plan for Whitney Lake.
The public meeting will be held at the Whitney ISD Auditorium, 305 San Jacinto, Whitney, TX 76692 and is open to the general public. An open house will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a formal presentation at 6:15 p.m. At the conclusion of the presentation there will be time for the public to view maps, ask questions and provide comments about the project.
Whitney Lake was constructed by USACE in 1951 for congressionally authorized purposes of flood control and hydroelectric power generation. After a record-breaking drought in Texas in the 1950s, most USACE reservoirs, including Whitney Lake, were congressionally authorized to serve a water conservation purpose. The current Master Plan for Whitney Lake was prepared in June 1972 and is in need of revision to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends and USACE management policy. Key topics to be addressed in the revised Master Plan include revised land classifications, new natural and recreational resource management objectives, recreation facility needs and special topics such as invasive species management and threatened and endangered species habitat. Public participation is critical to the successful revision of the Master Plan.
A Master Plan is defined as “the strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural, and cultural resources throughout the life of the water resource development project”. In general, it defines how the resources will be used by the general public. The Master Plan does not directly address the Shoreline Management Plan which governs private boat docks, nor does the Master Plan address in detail the technical operational aspects of the lake with respect to flood risk management or hydroelectric power generation.
The Master Plan study area will include the Whitney Lake proper and all adjacent recreational and natural resource properties under federal control.
Questions pertaining to the proposed revision can be addressed to: Mr. Billy Haferkamp, Project Manager, CESWF-OD-R, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Whitney Lake Office, 285 CR 3602, Clifton, TX 76634, (254) 622-7405, and Ms. Susan Wolters, Project Manager, CESWF-PEC-PM, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, P.O. Box 17300, Fort Worth, TX 76102-0300, (817) 886-1923.
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About the Fort Worth District: The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was established in 1950. The District is responsible for water resources development in two-thirds of Texas, and design and construction at military installations in Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico. Visit the Fort Worth District Web site at:
www.swf.usace.army.mil and SWF Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-District-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers/188083711219308.