Proposed Pierce reservoir won't be for public use
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Fishing, water skiing and boating would not be allowed on a storage reservoir that LCRA/SAWS project officials plan to build on the Pierce Ranch.

Lower Colorado River Authority officials said this week the lake would be utilized solely as a retention facility and be closed to the public.

"The holding basin is not intended to be a recreational lake," said Merrell Foote, senior communications specialist for the LCRA.

"Water levels in the basin will rise and fall significantly, depending on the rate of water being pumped and out of the facility. This creates unsafe conditions for water recreation."

LCRA announced last week it has signed a preliminary agreement to purchase 4,200 acres on the Pierce Ranch for the reservoir. The purpose of the basin is to store excess surface water flows from the Colorado River. Those flows would later be transported via pipeline to San Antonio as part of the Lower Colorado River Authority/San Antonio Water System project.

The LCRA/SAWS calls for the transport of 150,000 acre feet of Colorado River water to San Antonio annually. In return, the money the Alamo city pays for the water will fund conservation methods and the development of new water sources in the lower Colorado basin.

Conservation methods alone are anticipated to bring about an initial reduction in water usage by 6,000 acre feet a year.

Though groundwater is to be used as a local supplement, none by law can be transported out of the county.

Project officials initially considered six potential sites for the holding basin. These were located in Wharton, Colorado and Matagorda counties. The Wharton County site was said to be ideal, with few environmental concerns and a willingness by property owners to sell.

How much of the 4,200 acres would be needed for the reservoir has not yet been determined, LCRA's Foote said, adding water availability and environmental needs studies are under way to determine how much water is actually available from the Colorado River.

"After we complete those studies, we will begin designing the holding basin," Foote said. "A preliminary estimate of the size of the holding basin indicates the footprint could be about six or seven square miles."

Foote said a 150-foot "buffer" will likely be established around the perimeter of the reservoir. This area could be used for wetlands mitigation.

A portion of it will also accommodate an intake structure, pump station and pipelines needed to move the water from the river to the reservoir. It's estimated to cost $97 million to build these structures, Foote said.

SAWS would cover those expenses, along with the overall project study costs, which are estimated to be $47.9 million.

Part of that cost includes roughly $4 million that would be earmarked for required permits. LCRA intends to file an application next year with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for federal permits that would cover the entire project as well as the reservoir.

"The permitting process could take several years from start to finish. The Corps follows a very thorough process to evaluate the proposed project, especially its impact on wetlands and the environment," Foote said.

"If the permit is denied, LCRA and SAWS must go back to the drawing board."

LCRA further plans to build eight additional "regulating reservoirs" as part of the project's agricultural conservation study. Also called "conservation ponds," these facilities would be used to store irrigation water for local agricultural needs, officials said.

"These conservation ponds would be located in LCRA's three irrigation divisions and could range in size from 40 to 120 acres," Foote said.