Watershed Profile No matter where you Twenty miles northeast of downtown, Lake Houston is the primary drinking Area 292 square miles live, work or play, you are water supply for the Houston area and Rainfall also a popular recreational destination. Ranges between 50- 60 inches per year Elevation always in a watershed – 42.6 feet (at the dam) to 361 feet (Coldspring) Lake Houston Watershed Geology Sedimentary formations consisting of materials deposited an area of land that drains The northeast portion of the Lake Houston watershed originates in by water San Jacinto County at the headwaters of Tarkington Bayou and in Soils Liberty County at the headwaters of Marsh Branch and Luce Bayou. Clays, silts and local sands. Poorly-drained, tight clays to a particular creek, The northwest portion of Lake Houston watershed originates at the Major Ecoregion confluence of White Oak Creek and Caney Creek and at the confluence Western Gulf Coastal Plain/Piney Woods of Cypress Creek and the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. The southern-most extent of the watershed is the Lake Houston Dam. Vegetation river, bayou or lake. Loblolly Pine, Oak, Pecan and Willow History Cities Houston Understanding our role in Settlement in the western-most portion of the watershed, which later Humble became Humble, Texas, began shortly after the Civil War. The main Kingwood Cleveland economic base was made up of farms and sawmills. In 1904, oil was Atascocita watershed management is discovered at Moonshine Hill. By 1905 the Humble Oilfield boasted the largest production in the State of Texas. The oil boom rapidly Tributaries Tarkington Bayou Contacts increased the population of the community from 700 to 20,000, West Fork San Jacinto River and in 1911 the Humble Oil Company (now Exxon) came into being. Luce Bayou critical to the protection of For more information about your watershed, please contact the following: Peach Creek The oil boom produced tremendous growth in the Houston area and Caney Creek H-GAC Harris County Precinct 4 helped spark the development of the Houston Ship Channel in 1914. East Fork San Jacinto River www.h-gac.com www.hcp4.net White Oak Creek our waterways, floodplains (713) 627-3200 Liberty County Houston continued to grow, and in 1950 Houston’s population Issues TCEQ Region 12 www.co.liberty.tx.us expanded to more than 1 million, establishing a need for a large, High bacteria levels www.tceq.state.tx.us Sedimentation and drinking water, as (713) 767-3500 Montgomery County long-range and dependable supply of fresh water. The construction Elevated nutrient levels www.co.montgomery.tx.us of the 62 foot high earthen dam, completed in 1953, created Harris County Flood Control District Parks www.hcfcd.org San Jacinto County Lake Houston. The project was not only designed to provide a Alexander Deussen (713) 684-4000 www.co.san-jacinto.tx.us dependable yield of 150 million gallons per day but also to fulfill Lake Houston Park well as our recreational Harris County Precinct 1 municipal, industrial and recreational purposes. Construction of Golf Courses www.co.harris.tx.us/comm_lee/ the water purification plant was completed in 1954 and, as Lake Houston Golf Course (713) 755-6111 reported by the City, “The water was so clean there was hardly Deerwood Country Club and fishing areas. Atascocita Country Club any need to treat it.” Kingwood Country Club Kingwood Cove Country Club Tour 18 Golf Course The opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in the 1960s resulted in continued growth, and the communities of Kingwood, Watershed Lake Houston Forest Cove and others began to fill in the watershed’s western area. However, much of the watershed’s northeastern extent is still very rural and heavily forested. As our population grows, so do the risks to our waterways from Water Quality Portions of Lake Houston listed on the 2004 Texas Water Quality activities in the watershed. Inventory are of concern for nutrient enrichment. Nitrogen and phosphorus compounds are found naturally in water, fluctuating seasonally. However, when these compounds increase because of human 07/07 activity (primarily the use of fertiliz- Another water quality concern is pollution prevention of storm water. include the timing of large inflows from of the City’s Northeast Water Purification Plant. Lake Houston Park ers), nutrient levels can increase, the presence of bacteria. The Surface waters require more treatment the surrounding watershed and the The scientific validation of this study for prevent- Lake Houston Park is located at the north encouraging higher rates of plant current water quality assessment and processing to remove in-lake processes that might affect ing seasonal algal blooms and improving overall end of Lake Houston at 22031 Baptist growth and wide spread algal shows elevated bacteria levels impurities than do taste and odor in drinking water. water quality will increase our understanding of Encampment Road, in New Caney, Texas. It blooms. Excessive algal blooms in the upper portion of the lake. groundwater lake hydrology and provide a valuable tool for the is situated between Caney Creek and the East are a problem for several reasons. This problem may stem from sources. Additionally, the City has begun a City as well as other cities around the country. Fork of the San Jacinto River. It is accessible SanSan First, they cause loss of aesthetics a variety of sources, including JacintoJacinto program of evaluating alternative To learn more about the project, please visit: from US 59 and FM 1485. With approximately CountyCounty because of water discoloration, the following. • Contact your local www.houstontx.gov/environment/reports.html 5,000 acres of forest, 12 miles of hike and musty odor and pungent taste. county extension bike trails, eight miles of equestrian trails and Second, death and decomposition • Intermittent wastewater agent to learn how Parks and Marinas camping facilities, the park boasts a variety 59 of algal populations reduce the system overflows to best manage cow, US There are ample access points to the Lake of activities for visitors although there is no dissolved oxygen content of the horse or other livestock waste. for water activities, including fishing, skiing direct boater access to the lake. lake, which fish need. Depletion • Failing septic systems and sailing. The Lake offers good fishing from the of oxygen can lead to noxious Drinking Water Supply dock, the shoreline and along its many tributaries. Lake Houston Marina Cleveland conditions, fish kills and other • Pet waste Lake Houston is located Located across the FM 1960 bridge, Lake aquatic stresses. Possible sources approximately 20 miles northeast Alexander Deussen Park Houston Marina is a full-service marina offering Marsh Branch of nutrients include sewage from • Stormwater runoff of downtown Houston and currently Liberty The 309 acre park, located near the spillway live bait, cleaning stations, weigh stations, an broken sewer lines, failing septic supplies drinking water to more than County on the southern shore of Lake Houston, RV park and overnight camping. TarTa rkingtonk in systems, animal waste and runoff • Wildlife and migratory bird Determining a single cause for • Developing watershed 2 million customers for the city and BayB g a t youo o from golf courses and residential populations scattered high bacteria levels is difficult because management plans surrounding area. Current output from u n Rivers, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous lawns that wash into area waterways. throughout the watershed so many potential sources exist. the three major water production plants Trash Bash® What can YOU do to prevent is 350 million gallons per day, which is Once a year, thousands of volunteers Resolving this problem will require bacteria from entering Lake Houston? about 25 percent of the total source gather along the waterways of our region the efforts of water quality managers, water for the city. The majority of drinking to do their part in cleaning up the environ- residents and other stakeholders. • Report any leaking sewer lines water is from the withdrawal or pumping u ment. Dedicated teams of volunteers from Luce Bayo Water quality managers are currently or sewer overflows to the proper of groundwater, resulting in greater schools, scout groups, local businesses, conducting studies to help determine utility district. land subsidence. industry, local governments and state agencies major contributors of bacteria have made the Rivers, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous to the watershed. Trash Bash a success since 1994. The Lake 2 East Fork MontgomeryMontgomery SanSan JacintoJacinto Houston site is the largest, most attended CountyCounty 59 RiverRiver US of all the sites. The Lake Houston Marina Kingwood 1 Alexander Deussen Park provides the main staging location with two Atascocita HarrisHarris CountyCounty techniques for water quality WWestest FForkork 3 2 satellite locations around the Lake. To learn SSanan JJacintoacinto Lake Houston Park RRiveriver management. The most challenging more about Trash Bash or to become a 4 LakeLake 3 FM 1960 HoustonHouston water quality concern for large open Lake Houston Marina volunteer, visit www.trashbash.org. Humble reservoirs is seasonal algal blooms. 4 Bush Intercontinental Airport Walden on the Lakes Excessive algal blooms can lead to loss of City, Town Golf aesthetics when water becomes discolored or Place Course When these sources are Beltway 1 identified, a number of solutions 8 and acquires a musty odor and pungent Houston Park Marina may be implemented, which include: taste. City water quality experts studied the problem and found a low-cost, effec- • Utilizing Best Management Managing Water Quality tive solution that did not involve the use Practices (BMPs) • Pick up and properly dispose in Lake Houston of additional chemicals. The solution was includes family picnic areas with pavilions, of pet waste at home and in As a result of groundwater subsidence To ensure the long-term sustainability of solar-powered, mechanical mixers called playgrounds, fishing ponds, rental shelters, • Using appropriate enforcement community parks.