Lake Granbury
Frequently Asked Questions
Lakeside Living

The BRA does not require an annual fee for on-water or dock facilities on Lake Granbury. There is, however, a one-time permit and inspection fee of $75 for installing a new dock, adding on to the existing dock, or transfer of title when you purchase your home.

On-Water Facility permits do not need to be displayed on the dock; however, each dock should have a permit plate displayed that passing boaters can see from the water. If your dock does not have a numbered permit plate, please contact the lake office at 817-573-3212 and one will be sent to you at no cost.

Dock size is dependent upon location. Dock size cannot exceed 2,000 square feet at any residential location; however, limitations may be made to allow for variations in canal width and proximity to neighbors. Any change in the footprint of the dock must be approved by the lake office via the permit application prior to construction.
For a permit application, go here.

Yes, you may paint or install upgrades to your on-water facility without a permit as long as the changes you're making do not change or enlarge the footprint of the dock.

Because working on docks requires water access, the BRA requires dock repair and construction companies to obtain a permit to work on the water. You may receive an up-to-date list of contractors with current permits by calling the lake office at 817-573-3212.

To learn if a specific property that does not currently have a dock is eligible for a permit, please contact the lake office and speak with an inspector. 817-573-3212.

Yes, Lakeside Water Permits are available for a one-time application fee of $25 and an annual fee to pump up to 60,000 gallons of water per year. The annual fee for 2022 is $51. Annual fees are billed in December for the following calendar year.

Erosion can be controlled by installing a retaining wall or sea wall at the edge of your property at 693 feet mean sea level. Please complete a Residential Improvement Permit available here and speak with a BRA inspector to determine your property's 693 feet mean sea level location.

Yes, you can dredge and remove tree growth from around your dock; however, because you are disturbing the lakebed, a permit is required by the BRA and/or the US Army Corps of Engineers. Please click here to go to the Permit page and follow the directions for a Residential Improvement Permit.

The influx of runoff from rainfall regularly moves debris from upstream to accumulate around docks and seawalls. Debris cluttering lakeside property is one of the hazards of living on a Texas waterway. The BRA attempts to remove debris that is a hazard to navigation, a threat to human health and safety, or a potential hazard to the dam gates. However, much of the debris will simply move downstream or will sink to the bottom of the reservoir.

The water in the main body of the lake meets standards for contact recreation. However, no surface water is entirely safe for all people, as all surface water contains bacteria that can be hazardous depending on exposure level and the health of the individual. Additionally, there are areas (canals, coves) that are known to contain elevated levels of bacteria. For additional information on waterborne illnesses, click here.

Unfortunately no, golden algae is present at Lake Granbury and most other rivers and reservoirs in northwest Texas year round; however, fish kills occur only when the algae blooms and becomes toxic. Thankfully, we have not had a significant bloom in several years.

At this time there is no way to treat golden algae without doing significant damage to the environment and endangering our water supply. However, a number of groups across the nation are doing research on this topic and hope to find a treatment sometime in the future.

The State of Texas owns all surface water in the state and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the agency responsible for regulating (permitting) the use of this surface water. The TCEQ issues the water rights for reservoirs in Texas.

The water rights issued to the Brazos River Authority grant the ability to store and use water for beneficial purposes, including the sale of water for municipal, steam-electric cooling and other uses. BRA owns the water right for Lake Granbury (and 10 other lakes) and provides water to our customers by contract under the terms of that water right. To view the permit granting the Authority water rights at Lake Granbury, click here.

Lake Granbury was built without the use of any tax dollars; having been financed entirely with revenues from the sale of water. The principal revenues used to finance the project were and continue to be provided under a contract with TXU Electric Company (now Luminant) for purchase of water for steam-electric cooling for a natural gas-fired power plant on the lake and the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant.

Current water use from Granbury can be broken down as follows:

• 50,000 acre-feet per year for steam-electric cooling
• 7,000 acre-feet per year for municipal use
• 6,000 acre-feet per year for irrigation
• 500 acre-feet per year for mining (additional mining use of approximately 2,500 acre-feet per year is supplied downstream of Lake Granbury with releases from Possum Kingdom that are passed through Lake Granbury.)

Lake Granbury was built without the use of any tax dollars; having been financed entirely with revenues from the sale of water. The principal revenues used to finance the project were and continue to be provided under a contract with TXU Electric Company (now Luminant) for purchase of water for steam-electric cooling for a natural gas-fired power plant on the lake and the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant.

The lowest lake level was recorded on June 21, 2014, during the most recent drought of record when the lake hit 681.51 feet mean sea level, nearly 11½ feet below normal pool elevation. You may view historic lake levels here.

The lake dropped to a historic low of 681 feet mean sea level or just below the 5- percent capacity of the reservoir. Since the lake’s creation, it has experienced only six other occasions where the level dropped below 688.3 msl (75 percent full) occurring in 1971, 1974, 1978, 1984, 2011 and 2014.

Lake Granbury was completed in September 1969 and filled to capacity before the end of that year. Since that time, the lowest the lake has dropped was in 2014 when the level hit 681.47 msl; just over 11 feet below the top of the conservation pool. For a chart of historic lake levels, here.

The lake level dropped to its historic low level in 2014 for a number of reasons; some naturally occurring, some man-made. However, the reservoir would have been lower without the benefit of the water released from storage in Possum Kingdom Lake as a result of the Possum Kingdom-Granbury Water Management Study. These fluctuations in lake levels are typical for water supply lakes, as those levels respond to use, evaporation, inflows and rainfall.

Lake Granbury is permitted by the State of Texas and is an integral component for water supply in the State Water Plan. Like all water supply lakes, it was built to accumulate and store water during times of abundance for use when rainfall and river flows are inadequate to meet water needs.

The BRA is permitted by the state to annually withdraw up to 100,000 acre feet for water sales from Lake Granbury. Though this may seem like a lot of water, during years with normal rainfall, streamflow and runoff keep the lake relatively full. Over the last 25 years, annual inflow to Lake Granbury has averaged about 470,000 acre feet per year.

As a water supply lake, Granbury is part of a system of lakes operated by the Brazos River Authority. Releases are made for several reasons, including:

• water supply by users near the lake and downstream,
• to pass through water released from the lake above Lake Granbury, and
• to refill storage in the lake below Granbury.

The BRA maintains a small daily release to help provide a viable habitat for the environment of the Brazos River below Lake Granbury. However, the BRA also maintains a continuous release from Possum Kingdom Lake that was initially regulated by that reservoir's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. These minimum releases were integrated into an agreement with FERC when the hydroelectric plant was decommissioned.

The releases made from Lake Granbury do not supply water to the nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant supply is taken directly from Lake Granbury.

The current lake level is measured by a USGS gage situated at the dam. You may find that level by clicking here , or you may view current lake levels posted in the BRA home page here.

The BRA does not provide dredging of the lake bed. Our hydrologists have advised that with time a natural process of heavy rain will tend to clear the main channel of the river in the upper part of the lake. Additionally, the cost to dredge would be in the millions and therefore prohibitive.

On average, 43,000 acre-feet per year is pumped from Lake Granbury to Squaw Creek Reservoir for use at the current Comanche Peak plant.

Water released from Squaw Creek Reservoir is currently not returned to Lake Granbury. The water released from the plant flows down Squaw Creek and joins the Brazos River downstream of Lake Granbury.

Current water use from Granbury can be broken down as follows:

• 50,000 acre-feet per year for steam-electric cooling
• 7,000 acre-feet per year for municipal use
• 6,000 acre-feet per year for irrigation
• 500 acre-feet per year for mining (additional mining use of approximately 2,500 acre-feet per year is supplied downstream of Lake Granbury with releases from Possum Kingdom that are passed through Lake Granbury.)

The Allens Creek Reservoir near Houston is a separate project that is already permitted by TCEQ and is a good example of how BRA is working to develop new water supplies throughout the river basin.

For example, because Possum Kingdom Reservoir is our largest lake with the greatest amount of storage, it is partially dedicated to meeting demands as far downstream as the Houston area. The new water supplies provided either by the new Allens Creek Reservoir or approval of our System Operations Permit will allow the BRA to meet some of these downstream needs (such as the Houston area) with water from other storage reservoirs resulting in PK retaining water that may have otherwise been released.

No, No-Wake Zones are used to mitigate hazards to boating safety and may include known navigational hazards; narrow, shallow waters; areas of obstructed vision; structures in the area such as dams, trestles, power lines, and fueling docks; designated recreational or swimming areas; congested areas with high traffic (i.e., marinas); or perhaps areas with a history of accidents.

BRA Regulations do not allow for the placement of private buoys on Lake Granbury as state law offers the ability of enforcement only for buoys placed by the BRA.

People often think that as long as something is organic (such as leaves, grass clippings or old plants), it's alright to dump those items into a lake, river or other body of water. However, it is against state law. The Texas Health Code specifies the fine and punishment for dumping anything, including organic materials, in the waters of the state.

Among the reasons is that nutrients from an excess of organic materials or even over-fertilizing yards or gardens result in algal blooms. As the algae "blooms," it can affect both the dissolved oxygen content of the water and the pH (acidity or alkalinity). These added nutrients in the water can also cause more plant growth in lakes or rivers, leading to impaired navigation in many waterways. This is especially prevalent in shallow areas where sunlight can penetrate the entire water column.

You may contact the BRA after business hours and over the weekend for non-emergency situations by calling the local Sheriff's office and requesting a lake ranger return your call. In the event of an emergency while on the reservoir, you may dial 911, and the dispatcher will send Lake Rangers to your location.

Streamflow travel times vary depending on the magnitude of flow, but generally, the travel time from the Possum Kingdom Lake to Lake Granbury is around two days. The USGS gage at Dennis is just upstream of the Tin Top area (FM 2580), which is considered the upper end of Lake Granbury.

The BRA follows state laws, and at this time, wake boats, surf boats and airboats are not under any restrictions beyond the need to obey wake zones.

Maps of Lake Granbury are available free of charge from the Lake Granbury project office. Please call 817-573-3212.

The Texas Water Development Board has a contour map developed during recent volumetric surveys. The products are available at this link for download.