Possum Kingdom Lake: The Impact of Releases for Fish and Wildlife

by Thomas C. Gooch, Freese and Nichols, Inc, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Optimizing the Resources for Water Management

Abstract:

Possum Kingdom Lake is a 570,000 acre-foot reservoir on the Brazos River in Palo Pinto County, Texas, owned and operated by the Brazos River Authority (BRA). In 1985 the BRA applied to FERC for a renewal of its license to generate hydropower at Morris Sheppard Dam. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recommended to the FERC that the renewed license should require the BRA to make continuous, controlled releases from the dam for the benefit of fish and wildlife in the Brazos River downstream. BRA authorized a study of the impact of these proposed release requirements on the operation of Possum Kingdom Lake. The impacts considered in the study include reductions to reservoir yield, stage, and hydroelectric generation. A computer model of daily operation of Possum Kingdom Lake was developed. As the relicensing of Morris Sheppard Dam proceeded, the computer model of daily lake operation was used to analyze the impact of a number of alternative release programs.

Subject Headings: Lakes | Fish and fishery management | Wildlife | Hydro power | Computer models | Dams | Reservoirs | Texas | United States

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search