The drought of 2011 did not only kill off millions of trees
in Texas, it also temporarily hogtied the boating, fishing, and recreation
industries all around Lake Conroe. In fact, it was not until Lake Conroe residents
watched the lake being drained to a glorified puddle that it became commonly
known that the city of Houston has absolute rights to two thirds of the water
in the lake. The far-reaching consequence was that all of the businesses around
the lake – those that deal directly with tourist, vacationers and
recreationers, as well as those that serve the local community – were hurt
terribly.
Residents were also hurt, and found themselves presented
with a very scary dilemma. Lakefront residents of Lake Conroe spent their
hard-won income to have their bit of paradise. Then, out of the
zero-percent-chance-of-precipitation clear blue sky, comes a particularly long
dry spell lasting a full year, the sudden realization of the water rights owned
by a very thirsty metropolis nearby, and a band of meteorologist forecasting that
Texas may see a downtrend in annual rainfall for the next few years. All
together this would seem to predict a dim future for Lake Conroe. Some people
actually sold their lakefront property based on this mixture of facts and
conjecture. According to one study,
home prices around the lake dropped 28% as a result of this recent scare.
Those who react to false fears and hype are the ones who end
up selling their house for less than its worth. Then there is the smart guy who
buys a property for over a quarter off of its actual value. The trick is all in
understanding the true value of things, and not being scared by temporal
events. So let’s look at the facts, and put conjecture in its proper place.
Houston’s water rights to Lake Conroe Water
Since the first clod of soil was dug up in 1969 to excavate
the basin of Lake Conroe, Houston has maintained 2/3 water rights to Lake
Conroe. Why? Because the city of Houston was a partner in the venture, and
funded the development of the Lake Conroe reservoir. In essence, Lake Conroe exists
for our pleasure, and Houston uses the water as a backup if needed. The reason
why Houston’s acquisition of Lake Conroe water came as such a big surprise to
everyone is because, in 40 years of the lake’s existence, such a massive draw
of water had never happened before. The usual scenario has been that the dam
gates part in response to too much rainfall, not too little.
Forecasting the Future For Fair Skies
Many might be satisfied with the challenge that
meteorologists have enough trouble predicting tomorrow’s weather, much less
ongoing trends. But it would be fair to consider what records have proven
regarding drought for this region of Southeast Texas, and how that may instruct
what we may expect for upcoming years. This is, pardon the double entendre, one
of the barometers used by the meteorologists.
In 2012 rainfall across Southeast Texas was around 45 inches
for the year, and most recent reports have indicated that this is considered under-average.
However, the "Average rainfall map of
Texas 1961-1990” as compiled by Oregon State University put Montgomery County’s
average rainfall in the realm of 42 to 50 inches, which the 2012 precipitation
average certainly is. So it might take a
year or two more to determine of drought is going to be a continuing concern.
Another Issue That Addresses Lake Conroe’s Future
There is another issue that never got the fear-factor airplay
otherwise enjoyed by the drought and lake-draining. Montgomery County is a
fast-growing county, and besides the drought there have been existing concerns
about growing infrastructure to support the water needs of a rapidly populating
area. This is an issue that has not escaped notice. A solution, in fact, has already been
identified. This solution has a name, the Catahoula Aquifer. According to Houston
Chronicle correspondent Nicklaus Lovelady
in his September 2011 article covering the story, “The Catahoula Aquifer
could potentially become the newest groundwater source for Montgomery County,
which could one day reduce the county's dependency on Lake Conroe.” This story
came out on the heels of the San Jacinto River Authority approving funds for
the drilling of wells in Willis, Texas to access and evaluate Catahoula water,
which happened in June of 2011, after the SJRA has been investigating, researching
and contemplating the aquifer for a couple of decades. So, it may be, that the
2011 drought turns out to be the
inspiring catalyst that helped Montgomery County to finally access a huge water
resource that has been available this whole time.
So what may we conclude? Human nature is to occasionally
overreact to unprecedented events when they occur, but it is also human nature
to tackle these kinds of problems and find solutions. And certainly, our local
authorities have been busy finding new resources. In all, we have every reason
to believe that Lake Conroe has an incredibly bright future.
Given that Lake Conroe homes are among the nicest properties
available in this growing and beautiful corner of Texas, you may be wise to
consider buying your little piece of paradise while the getting is good!
