Lake Dunlap

Lake Dunlap was a reservoir on the Guadalupe River near the town of New Braunfels in Guadalupe County, Texas, United States. The reservoir was formed in 1931 by the construction of a dam to provide hydroelectric power to the area. Management of the dam and lake was assumed by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority on May 1, 1963. Lake Dunlap served as a venue for outdoor recreation, including fishing and boating. On the morning of May 14, 2019, at 8:05AM local, the dam's 90-year-old middle spillgate unexpectedly collapsed, nearly draining the lake by day's end.[1][2][3][4] The collapse was due to ageing structural steel.[5] The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority said it is committed to finding a way to replace spill gates at all its ageing dams.[6]

Lake Dunlap
LocationGuadalupe County, Texas
Coordinates29°40.70′N 98°4.00′W
TypeHydroelectric reservoir
Primary inflowsGuadalupe River
Primary outflowsGuadalupe River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area410 acres (170 ha)
Max. depth40 ft (12 m)
Water volume5,900 acre⋅ft (0.0073 km3)
Surface elevation575 ft (175 m)

Fish and plant life

Lake Dunlap was stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Lake Dunlap prior to draining included catfish, crappie, striped bass, and largemouth bass.[7]

Recreational uses

The only free public access to the lake was a boat ramp located at the overpass of Interstate Highway 35 in New Braunfels. Lake Dunlap offered mostly calm water due to its narrow size (in parts) and protection from wind by shoreline trees. Wakeboarders, skiers and other recreational enthusiasts used Lake Dunlap daily due to its family friendly calmness, temperature, and status of near-private lake. Boaters had to use caution as the lake had numerous unmarked stumps.

See also

References
  1. https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/lake-dunlaps-future-is-grim-after-spillway-fails-at-nearby-dam/273-759614b0-59aa-49cb-a1f1-857f662ffaa9
  2. https://www.ksat.com/news/video-shows-exact-moment-of-partial-dam-failure-at-lake-dunlap
  3. http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/dunlap-dam-experiences-spillgate-failure
  4. https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/property-owners-warned-after-spillgate-fails-at-lake-dunlap-near-new-braunfels/2001345186
  5. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Aging-steel-suspected-in-dam-failure-at-Lake-13852316.php
  6. https://sciengsustainability.blogspot.com/2019/05/lake-dunlap-dam-failure-footage-video.html
  7. Stocking History of Lake Dunlap
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