JACKSONVILLE —
After weeks of floods and thunderstorms, Lake Jacksonville is up 9.6 inches from last month, Ben Briley, parks and recreation director, said.
The lake's water level is at 418 feet and a full level measures at 422 feet. The lake is 4 feet below normal.
“If we can repeat this rain a couple more times, we are on our way to normal lake level,” Briley said.
He said when the water level 5 feet or more below normal, it becomes dangerous for boats.
Briley said Jacksonville's lake level fills faster compared to Lake Palestine and Lake Tyler because of lake ratio.
“Our advantage is our ratio of water sheds to lake volume is three times that of Lake Tyler,” he said.
Javier Solis and wife Carolina Solis, residents who live near Lon Morris College, took their children for a walk near the lake on Tuesday.
Javier Solis said he has noticed the increase in water level compared to when he saw it a couple of months ago.
“I thought it would increase because it had rained,” he said. “When we had come walking during the times it was really hot, the water was passed the white marker.”
And as water levels rise, habitats for the fish in the lake benefit.
Richard Ott, natural resource specialist with the Texas Wildlife and Park Department, said the rule of thumb is, anytime lakes have high water levels and it floods terrestrial vegetations, it benefits spawning, or the release of eggs.
“It gives them the nutrient structures they need to hide and it mimics the natural conditions that most of our fish need to spawn” he said.
Ott said terrestrial vegetations have also grown in the exposed soil caused by decrease in water levels.
“That is why it is important for people not to go and mow in front of the bulk heads,” he said. “We want to leave it there. It holds the soil and also provides the fish habitat for when the water comes back.”
Local News
Related Photos
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Lake Jacksonville is four feet from reaching normal lake level. Within a one-month time frame, the lake rose 9.6 inches. Progress photo by Marivel Resendiz
Discussion
Lake nears normal level
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