Click
to
hide
Water-Year
Summary
instructions
and
information
- Water-Year Summary reports summarize a year of hydrologic data in a printer-friendly format.
- For water years 2014 onward, choose a water year and parameter and an on-demand Water-Year Summary report will be generated.
- For water years 2006 through 2013, choose a water year and an Annual Water Data Report will be provided.
- For water years 2005 and earlier, Annual Water Data Reports may be available in digital format.
- Not all sites have reports available for every water year.
USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
08123000 Lake Colorado City near Colorado City, TX
LOCATION - Lat 32°20'41", long 100°55'10" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Mitchell County, TX, Hydrologic Unit 12080002, on left bank at municipal water-intake structure, 1.7 mi upstream from Colorado City Dam on Morgan Creek, 2.2 mi downstream from the Texas and Pacific Railway Co. bridge, 2.5 mi upstream from mouth, and 4.0 mi southwest of Colorado City.
DRAINAGE AREA - 345 mi² of which 43 mi² probably is noncontributing.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR TX-81-3: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Apr. 1949 to Sept. 2002 (contents), Oct. 2002 to current year.
PERIOD OF RECORD, Water-Quality.--
CHEMICAL DATA: Mar. 1964 to Dec. 1964, Dec. 1969 to Nov. 1981, Apr. 1983 to May 1984.
BIOCHEMICAL DATA: Mar. 1964 to Dec. 1964, Dec. 1969 to Nov. 1973.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is NGVD of 1929. To obtain values in NAVD 88 add 0.61 ft. Prior to Aug. 23, 1950, nonrecording gages at or near powerplant about 0.7 mi downstream at same datum. Satellite telemeter at station.
COOPERATION - Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)
REMARKS - Some records listed in the period of record may not be available electronically. Records of diversions for municipal use can be obtained from the city of Colorado City, TX. The lake is formed by a rolled earthfill dam 4,800 ft long. Storage began in April 1949, and the dam was completed in September 1949. The dam and lake are owned by the Texas Electric Service Co. to operate their thermal electric powerplant. The uncontrolled spillway is an excavated cut channel through natural ground 1,200 ft wide located 600 ft upstream and to the left of left end of dam. The spillway is designed to discharge 150,000 ft³/s at the maximum design flood elevation. The service spillway is an uncontrolled rectangular drop inlet located 100 ft upstream from dam with two uncontrolled openings of 10.0 by 12.0 ft. The spillway is designed for a maximum discharge of 5,000 ft³/s. A service outlet is provided for small releases downstream through a 30-inch valve-controlled concrete pipe. Record of pumpage from Champion Creek Reservoir (station 08123600), into Lake Colorado City can be obtained from the Texas Electric Service Co. Data regarding the dam are given in the following table:
Elevation (feet)Top of dam............................................................ 2,090.0 Design flood.......................................................... 2,086.7 Crest of spillway..................................................... 2,073.7 Crest of service spillway............................................. 2,069.6 Lowest gated outlet (invert).......................................... 2,024.3
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Apr. 1949 to Sept. 2002: Maximum contents, 40,280 acre-ft, Sept. 7, 1962; minimum contents after initial filling, 9,740 acre-ft, Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1, 1953; Apr. 1949 to current year: Maximum elevation, 2,075.10 ft, Sept. 7, 1962; minimum elevation, 2,046.78 ft, April 13, 2015.
