The Ft. Worth District, in partnership, with the Brazos River Authority, is working on an integrated reallocation report and  environmental assessment that presents the results of the water supply storage reallocation study. This study will evaluate and compare an array of potential water supply storage alternatives to generate municipal and industrial (M&I) water supply for the Brazos River Authority.

Whitney Lake and Dam is a multipurpose dam and reservoir operated primarily for flood risk management, hydroelectric power and water supply. Whitney Lake and Dam is an integral part of a USACE nine-lake system of reservoirs that provide flood risk management on the Brazos River and its tributaries. Whitney Lake and Dam’s strategic location on the main stem of the Brazos River provides for managing of floods originating in the upper Brazos River Basin. Conservation storage is regulated for hydropower generation and municipal and industrial water supply (M&I). The conservation pool lies between elevations 520 ft and 533 ft.  The storage space below elevation 520 ft serves for power head reserve and sedimentation and is considered the inactive pool.

The tentatively selected plan transfers 72,817 ac-ft of storage from the conservation pool and 111,537 ac-ft of storage from the powerhead reserve/inactive pool. This reallocation would result in a decrease of the bottom of the conservation pool by 8 ft from an elevation of 520 ft to 512 ft. The top of the conservation pool would remain the same at an elevation of 533 ft. Reallocation of storage is considered the most efficient means to satisfy the current and projected water demands for the Brazos River Authority. The water reallocation would allow a water storage agreement amendment to be immediately executed for 184,354 AF of conservation pool storage after the final approval of this water reallocation report. No new federal infrastructure or facilities will be required for the plan. Cultural resource surveys around Lake Whitney and Dam will need to occur prior to implementation. No significant impacts to environmental resources are expected. There will be no impacts to flood risk management and operation at Whitney Lake and Dam, but there will be a small impact to hydropower generation.