Toledo Bend increasing water releases; floodgates open at Dam B
FORT WORTH — UPDATE: As of 4:30 a.m., the Sabine River Authority was releasing water from its spillway gates at 66,000 cubic feet per second, up from 44,000 cubic feet per second Wednesday night.
The opening of the gates has led Orange County officials to issue a mandatory evacuation notice to residents in low lying areas.
Traffic on Interstate 10 headed east toward Louisiana is backed up.
For residents downstream from Dam B, which was also releasing water Wednesday, KFDM/Fox 4 Chief Meteorologist said earlier Thursday that it would decrease the amount released to ease the downstream effect.
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At the Toledo Bend Reservoir, which flooded out parts of Newton and Orange counties last year, spillway releases increased Wednesday from 5,000 cubic feet per second to 11,000 cubic feet per second, then later to 22,000 cubic feet per second as of 3:30 p.m.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday "historic discharge amounts" are expected at Dam B:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District officials announce today the expectation of historic discharge amounts at B.A. Steinhagen/Town Bluff Lake.
Hurricane Harvey has produced historic amounts of rain in the B.A. Steinhagen Lake watershed. Operations personnel are conducting heightened monitoring and safety surveillance activities at the dam.
B.A. Steinhagen/Town Bluff Lake release rates have been increased to over 44,100 cubic feet per second and it is anticipated that releases will exceed those experienced in the 2015 floods. Local emergency management officials have been notified and preparations for evacuation of affected downstream areas are underway.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir has the entire flood pool available to hold flood water. The only releases from Sam Rayburn in the near future will be for power generation to maintain service for the Powerhouse. These releases will be near 500 cubic feet per second and will have a negligible impact on downstream conditions.
Lake levels and discharge amounts may be viewed at http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/lake/status.htm.
