X
GO

Water School

How deep is my lake?

Periodically, officials conduct surveys of reservoirs within the Brazos River basin to determine each lake’s volume. As part of that work, survey crews determine each lake’s depth (in feet). Do not confuse this measurement with lake level, however.

A reservoir’s depth is the distance from the bottom to the top of the conservation pool, the point where the lake is considered full. The lake level is the number of feet the surface is above mean sea level.

Surveys use a combination of GPS technology and sonar to find the lake’s depth at various points to get an average to determine volume. The sonar sends sound waves to the lake bottom at different frequencies, and the results are compared to help also determine how much sediment has collected. The surveys also find each lake’s deepest point, which is typically near the dam.

The following lakes are in the Authority system:

Reservoir

Avg. depth (feet)

Deepest point (feet)

Belton

35

112

Stillhouse Hollow        

35

110

Possum Kingdom      

32

106

Whitney

24

100

Georgetown

29

80

Granbury

16

67

Limestone

17

44

Aquilla

15

40

Somerville

13

35

Granger

12

35

Proctor

12

33

Related

Share

Search
Categories

The information provided on this site is intended as background on water within the Brazos River basin. There should be no expectation that this information is all encompassing, complete or in any way examines every aspect of this very complex natural resource.

If you have questions about a post or would like additional information, please contact us or call 888-922-6272.

Tags
rain infection fertilizer meta tag drinking water gate water clarity pollutants gage lake riverine flood control lake kayak monitor lake level gas granbury cfs classification water cycle costs brackish corps channel salt water treatment habitat clarity municipal authority algae sewage PAM lake levels lakes marsh emergency use hunting golden algea releases well drilling filter sediment streamflow volume conservation inundated mainstem environmental E coli aquifer hydrologic cycle xeriscape drought possum kingdom storage jobs watercourse turbidity watershed beneficial use flood evaporation allens creek reservoir environment acre-feet water planning Board acre-foot employment pharmaceuticals minerals rights indirect re-use flood pool agriculture spring fork appropriation river use canoeing organic electric companies agricultural landscaping tributary solids direct re-use biosolids ground water mitigation gulf measure taste wastewater smell precipitation boating inland permit water plants chlorine supply farming groundwater water rights wetland fishing bay calcium consumption septic contaminants depth mgd quality industrial parasite fish kill oxygen aerobic dam climate sanitation basin effluent contract camping USGS water quality corps of engineers hydrilla streamflow water supply reservoirs wildlife maps water use anaerobic soil water code potable impound insurance dock treatment legislation estuary recreation subwatershed hydropower bed and banks stream mission water speaker riparian medicine E. coli subsidence electricity subsidence district surface water TCEQ chlorides bottled water lawn industry runoff system wetlands septic system planning limestone hydrology governance golden algae dissolved solids canoe main stem sludge map invasive plants salinity reservoir spillway