Guardian of the lake

For four decades, Scott Davis has dedicated his career to law enforcement, albeit in a unique capacity. His position has been branches of organizations, such as the Brazos River Authority, where his focus is on protecting its most critical infrastructure, as well as the people enjoying the reservoirs.

"I appreciate we're not numbers-driven law enforcement," said Davis, the BRA's lake ranger sergeant resident at Lake Limestone. "A lot of what we can do, for instance a boat check, can occur on the land, before they even put in the water. We're able to let them correct any issues before they get out there and it becomes a violation. It's not like we're lying in wait, waiting for them to screw up."

The goal of the position, really, is safety, Davis said. Keeping everyone visiting and enjoying Lake Limestone safe as well as protecting the vital Sterling C. Robertson Dam, which holds back more than 200,000-acre-feet of water, or 65 billion gallons, which in part supports local water needs and water for area power plants.

The dam is an incredibly important earthen and concrete structure that spans an impressive 8,395 feet and towers 72 feet tall. This reservoir created by the dam has been a cornerstone of the region's water resources for over four decades. Completed in 1978, 46 years ago, Lake Limestone rests on the upper Navasota River in Limestone, Robertson and Leon counties.

"I appreciate the trust that's given us by our management to do our job," Davis said. "But they are there to provide guidance whenever we do have questions. I'm being trusted to do my job. I do not want to violate that trust."

Davis has worked for the BRA since October 2017, after retiring from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department after more than 32 years as a game warden.

Reservoir Manager John Dickson said Davis is a true professional and places the public's safety on Lake Limestone right alongside the security of BRA's critical infrastructure entrusted to him.

Lake Limestone is one of the reservoirs owned and operated by the Brazos River Authority. Construction of the reservoir was completed entirely without the use of tax dollars; having been made possible through the sale of water to Texas Electric Utilities to be used for cooling their lignite-burning electric plants in the area.

The reservoir offers four parks with some primitive camping and picnic facilities and four boat ramps for lake access. Park #5 is a local favorite because of the fishing, wildlife, and its rural location. This secluded park is the only BRA park that allows camping. Park #5 is one of two BRA parks at the reservoir. Park #1 is located by the Sterling C. Robertson Dam. Limestone County operates the other two parks at the lake – Public Use Area #2 and Public Use Area #3.

of the challenges of the position is the public's perception of law enforcement, Davis said.

"I enjoy working with the public. It has its ups and downs, of course. There's a cycle that occurs regarding the public's acceptance of our role as peace officers. Sometimes, you're the hero. Sometimes, you're the zero as far as the public's perception of law enforcement. You just have to keep holding your head up in these kinds of times."

This job is similar to the one at Texas Parks and Wildlife, he said.

On Valentine's Day, 1985, at their home in Wichita Falls, Davis' wife, Debbie, was reading the newspaper and stumbled upon a job posting that caught her attention. She called her then-24-year-old husband to point out a job posting. The TPWD was seeking game wardens.

At the time, Davis was a seasoned welder with a decade of experience in a local shop. Having started his career at the age of fourteen, he had worked his way up from pulling weeds and refilling the Coke box to mastering the art of welding.

Though he initially doubted his qualifications, Davis couldn't shake the feeling that becoming a game warden was an ideal job. With a leap of faith, he applied for the position and, to his surprise, was selected.

"I had a good work history, so I think they were willing to bet on me," he said. "They wanted someone dedicated."

The TPWD hired Davis as a game warden cadet and promptly swore him in as a peace officer with a temporary license, a practice that has since been discontinued, Davis said. They then sent him to a game warden academy in Austin, where he successfully completed a rigorous five-and-a-half-month training program.

Upon graduation, the TPWD assigned Davis to a position in Sinton, a small town in a coastal county located 30 miles north of Corpus Christi.

"We moved two toddlers and a newborn to Sinton in the summer of '85 and then spent almost nine years down there," he said.

Davis was later promoted to district supervisor and relocated to Midland.

"Which, in hindsight, was an excellent move for our family. We made some wonderful friends there and loved the school district," Davis said.

Seeking a new challenge, he joined the Brazos River Authority at Lake Limestone in October 2017, just two months after retiring from TPWD.

Lake Limestone is a beautiful reservoir, Davis said. It used to be a well-kept secret but has seen an increase in visitors over the past couple of years. It's not a real deep lake, but it's a superb location to fish for white bass, crappie and catfish. Roughly half the population on the lake are engaged in fishing, while the rest are enjoying watercraft sports, he said.

The position with the BRA requires Davis to live lakeside, putting him just a few feet from the area he protects.

Davis values the camaraderie with his coworkers at the Lake Limestone Office. He finds the combination of a positive work environment and outdoor activities to be very fulfilling.

Dickson said he asked several of Davis' coworkers what first pops into their minds when they think of him.

"The first response was, 'He not only talks the talk but walks the walk' when it comes to placing your faith and family first. Scott absolutely does this," Dickson said. "Another said, 'Spiritual clarity." They said Scott always helps them in their faith. During these times, Scott is always there if someone needs to talk or is struggling. Here at Lake Limestone, we do everything as a team, including blessing a meal before we eat (which we do a lot of.) Scott always has a meaningful blessing on the tip of his tongue."

Each day looks a little different as the lake rangers at the office rotate duties. Some days, you start the morning out with paperwork. Other times, you're walking across the dam at first light, looking for any issues or potential problems. We’ll write down daily water level information for record keeping. He said he also travels with Assistant Reservoir Manager Jackie Scott to do permit inspections, follow-ups, or permit finalizations on the reservoir. There are 1,280 residential permitted boat docks and one commercial boat dock.

Then there are the officer calls for service that might be for a stranded boater or an issue with someone's duck blind permit, for instance. There is always training to undergo, as the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has mandated classes.

"Some of the scariest calls are when there's weather involved, and you have somebody who got caught out in it. The challenge is that you may be responding alone and have to deal with a capsized boat," Davis said. "You just get it done. Thank goodness those are few and far between. But it's happened four to five times since I've been here."

There's one thing he can say, he loves this role.

"I asked Davy Moore (former reservoir manager) before he retired, 'Do you think they'll let me do this ranger job with a walker?' and he laughed and said, 'We'd cross that bridge when we get to it.'"

Davis stays equally busy off the clock.

He has three daughters, five grandsons, and, of course, the love of his life, Debbie, whom he married in 1979. A marriage so successful because of their love of laughter.

"You hear people talking about marrying their high school sweetheart, well I married my junior high school sweetheart," Davis said. "We lived next door to each other, and our moms were friends. I had a paper route before I got the job at the welding shop. She'd sometimes help me throw my papers. We were kind of sweet on each other way back then."

The couple also has three fur babies, one of which was adopted at the reservoir itself. Years ago, a lab mix showed up at the lake with no collar and no microchip. It took a long time before the dog trusted anyone to get close enough, but eventually, he adopted the Lake Limestone staff, Davis said.

"He's part of our family now. We named him Buoy," Davis said. "He was Lake Limestone's mascot for a while, but I've laid claim to him now."

Davis said he loves to fly fish and hunt, and he's never lacked a partner. His three girls would go with him all the time, and now they are all able to pass that joy to the grandchildren. Davis said they unwind at his or at their home near Stillhouse Hollow Lake in Belton.

"We all wear various hats, but the one that I'm the proudest of is that of being a papa. I used to think daddy was one of the sweetest words in the English language, and it still is. But Papa trumps it a little bit," Davis said.

"I was telling a friend of mine the other day, kind of wondering, when I do decide to retire for sure, I'm a little nervous about not being able to stay busy," Davis said. "This was my first boss as a game warden. He said, 'I promise this - once you retire, you'll wonder how in the world you ever had time to hold down a full-time job.'"

When thinking about who Davis is, Dickson said he recalls a fond memory of watching him fish with his grandchildren at the reservoir.

"My friend, who was with me, watched the interaction between Scott and his grandkids for a bit, and as we drove off, my friend looked me dead in the eye and said, "I wish Scott Davis was my grandfather,'" Dickson said. "That comment I will never forget."