exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

In Central and East Texas, as floodwaters start to recede, landowners might come across wildlife in unexpected locations. As they search for safety or higher ground, animals like armadillos, raccoons, skunks, and snakes may momentarily relocate into some people's yards and homes during floods.

A Texas lake is currently more than 20 feet over its usual water levels after a week of heavy rain. The City of Waco said in a statement that Lake Waco, in McLennan County, Texas, is currently so full that it is flooding certain areas, including the Flat Rock Boat Ramp.

Willie Rawls woke up to water at the steps of his home Thursday in the river bottoms of Coldspring – one of the first towns hit by the several hundred thousand gallons of water released from Lake Livingston Dam. The dam was releasing water in an effort to maintain its levels as merciless rainstorms drenched East Texas this week.

The City of Port Arthur is revealing an unauthorized discharge or spill of wastewater from the main lift station near the 5500 block of Proctor Street. According to a statement the city posted, a break in the service line from the lift station to the Main Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) required an emergency repair. 

According to Harris County documents, the PIC fund was originally established in 2017 to provide funding for recovery efforts due to hurricanes, tropical storms or major flooding events not covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or insurance. The fund was eventually expanded to be used for all countywide emergencies and other unexpected events. In fiscal year 2023-24, Harris County increased the available balance in the PIC fund by $40 million, for a total of $196 million.

Two alligators spotted swimming in Eagle Mountain Lake are getting attention. Texas Parks and Wildlife says it's not unusual, and you can blame spring.

The City of Kyle wants to purchase more water from San Marcos to support its growing community. Severe drought has affected many communities across Central Texas. While Kyle’s population in recent years has increased annually by 8%, its water supply has not grown with it.

A megadrought fueled by the overheating of our planet and consequent changing weather patterns has forced the last sugar mill in Texas to close its doors, the Guardian reported. In February, the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers cooperative announced that it would have to shutter its last remaining mill, located in Santa Rosa, a small town in the south Texas borderlands. Due to the megadrought, there wasn't enough water to irrigate the sugarcane plants.

In an effort to stay ahead of future capacity needs, the city of Pflugerville has been pushing forward several water and wastewater projects in recent years. Mayor Victor Gonzalez also said during his State of the City address May 2, the city will continue its efforts in water and wastewater planning, expecting an investment of over $1 billion in projects over the next five years.

According to streamflow data on the Brazos River Authority's website, the Sugar Land gauge at Hwy. 59 measured 58,200 cubic feet per second—a streamflow of about 28,000 cfs more than it was at the same time May 2. Engineers used predictive modeling and gauges to predict the river level at the Sugar Land gauge will peak at 67.4 feet above sea level around noon May 11, according to the website.

Water is something on the top of everyone’s minds here in this South Texas border city. A study commissioned by the City of Laredo in 2022 estimated it will run out of water by 2044 and that has its 250,000 residents scared.

With parts of Texas getting rainfall over the past few weeks, some lake levels have increased in the areas around San Antonio and Austin. Still, few are where they should be this time of year as we get ready for a classic hot Texas summer. San Antonio's Lake Medina is around 3% full, setting a record low for its water level.

The Trinity River Authority held a community meeting on Tuesday, May 7, to educate people who live near TRA’s Denton Creek Regional Wastewater System plant about the services provided at the location. Senior Operations and Compliance Manager, Jennifer Moore and DCRWS Plant Manager, Karl Moellering discussed the plant in detail, including the technology involved in treating wastewater and future expansion plans to meet the needs of a growing population.

The North Lake Water Treatment Plant expansion and Southside Water Treatment Plant rehabilitation both came online this spring, and another plant is planned to open in phases in 2025 and 2026.

Drought plagued the region last year, reducing water levels at Belton Lake to roughly 60 percent of its capacity in July. Texas has recently been struck by a wave of severe weather—a deluge of rain that hit the state prompted a surge of flood warnings. Extreme heat will grip the southern half of the state this week, sparking worries about the electrical grid capacity, and a tornado tore through Hawley, Texas, last week, leveling homes and injuring four people.