Heavy rain upstream of Lake Waco this week has raised lake levels by 4.7 feet, and Waco officials will assess next week whether to ease Stage 2 drought restrictions that have been in place since July 2022.
Storms over the North Bosque River watershed early Thursday caused the river to swell over its banks in the riverside communities of Iredell, Meridian, Clifton and Valley Mills.
The river crested early Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Geological Survey flood gauge at Valley Mills with a flow of 28,700 cubic feet per second. It dropped late Friday afternoon to 1,960 cubic feet per second, still well above normal. With more rain forecast for the weekend, city of Waco officials were watching to see how the flows would affect Lake Waco just downstream.
City Manager Bradley Ford said the rain has helped the lake, and the city is hopeful the lake level will continue to rise. For now the city is maintaining Stage 2 restrictions and is asking residents to keep conserving water with a twice-weekly watering schedule.
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“We are closely watching Lake Waco to see what the total lake level increase is before any determinations are made regarding changes to the conservation strategy,” Ford said in a statement to the Tribune-Herald on Friday. “The community’s support has helped protect the lake throughout the drought and we ask for continued support in following restrictions as we evaluate lake conditions.
Lake Waco’s level stood Friday evening at 454.78 feet above sea level, about 7.2 feet down from the normal level of 462. Under the city drought contingency plan, Stage 2 water restrictions normally kick in at 455 feet and Stage 3 restrictions at 450.
The lake stood just inches away from the Stage 3 threshold early Thursday before upstream rains began the surge of water into the lake.
USGS gauges in Clifton recorded a peak height of 26.5 feet and peak surge of 34,900 cubic feet per second by about 9 a.m. Thursday before receding down throughout the day. By mid-day Friday gauge numbers showed a height of about 5 feet and a surge of about 1,400 cubic feet per second in Clifton, still well above the levels recorded at the river a week ago, when the river was practically dry.
The National Weather Service is forecasting rain and thunderstorms throughout the weekend in the Waco area and North Bosque River, followed by a cold front Sunday night that will bring temperatures into the 40s next week.
A flood watch was also put into place for Friday night into Saturday morning.
Miles Langfeld, a weather service meteorologist said Friday that heavy rain is expected Friday night, which will ease up going into the weekend with the heavy rain being more isolated. He said since many areas in Bosque and McLennan Counties have seen heavier rain in the past few days, it will be easier for floods to occur due to the water levels already being high.
