Stillhouse Hollow Lake Water Level
Texas · Lampasas River
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Water level history
About Stillhouse Hollow Lake
Stillhouse Hollow Lake is a reservoir on the Lampasas River in Texas, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's known for clear water and strong bass fishing near Belton. Its full summer pool sits at 622 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Stillhouse Hollow Lake's water level
Stillhouse Hollow is the clear one. State fisheries staff describe the main lake as very clear, and the reason is in the geology: the dam sits on Edwards limestone, chosen at this river mile precisely because the limestone rose high enough that a permanent pool needed only nominal grouting, and the shoreline is steep rock that sheds very little sediment into the water. Visibility drops off up the river arms, but the main body is unusual for Central Texas. Depths reach 107 feet and hydrilla beds have taken hold in the lower lake.
The lake was authorized in 1954 as Lampasas Dam and Lake and renamed in 1959. It controls 1,318 square miles, about 87 percent of the entire Lampasas watershed, and works alongside Proctor, Belton, Granger and Georgetown to protect the Little River gauge at Cameron. The spillway is a broad-crested weir at 666 feet, which is also the top of the flood pool. The Corps records a maximum of 667.97 feet in March 1992 and a minimum of 610.31 feet in December 1988; within the modern daily record the peak is 663.99 feet in July 2007 and the low 602.14 feet in late October 2023.
The politics here are about where the water goes. The Brazos River Authority holds all the conservation storage, and Bell County Water Control and Improvement District Number 1 treats and delivers Stillhouse and Belton water to Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton and Fort Cavazos, opening a 20-million-gallon-a-day plant on this lake in 2021. But the authority also pumps Stillhouse water about 28 miles south to Lake Georgetown through a 48-inch pipeline that has been running since November 2001, capable of 44,000 acre-feet a year. Transfers have ranged from 10,300 acre-feet in 2019 to 35,300 in 2020, and locals describe it as water leaving Bell County. A separate seven-mile pipeline from Belton Lake into Stillhouse, the Belhouse project, is due to start construction in 2028. Zebra mussels are established here, added to the state's regulated waters in 2013.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake — frequently asked
Why is Stillhouse Hollow Lake so clear?
Geology. The dam sits on Edwards limestone, and the site was chosen at this point on the Lampasas River because the limestone rose high enough that impounding a permanent pool needed only nominal grouting. The shoreline is steep rock that contributes very little sediment, so the main lake stays very clear. The upper river arms are more stained, and depths in the main body reach 107 feet.
What is Stillhouse Hollow Lake's full pool elevation?
The top of the conservation pool is 622 feet above sea level. The top of the flood-control pool and the spillway crest are both 666 feet, and the top of the dam is 698. The lake controls 1,318 square miles, roughly 87 percent of the entire Lampasas River watershed.
What are Stillhouse Hollow's record high and low levels?
The Corps records a project maximum of 667.97 feet on 4 March 1992 and a minimum of 610.31 feet on 5 December 1988. Within the modern daily elevation record the highest is 663.99 feet on 17 July 2007 and the lowest is 602.14 feet on 24 October 2023, during the 2022 to 2023 drought.
Where does Stillhouse Hollow water go?
Two directions, and the second is the contentious one. Bell County Water Control and Improvement District Number 1 treats Stillhouse and Belton water for Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton and Fort Cavazos. Separately, the Brazos River Authority pumps Stillhouse water about 28 miles south to Lake Georgetown through a 48-inch pipeline running since November 2001, with capacity for 44,000 acre-feet a year. Transfers ranged from 10,300 acre-feet in 2019 to 35,300 in 2020.
What is the Belhouse pipeline?
A proposed seven-mile pipeline, up to four feet in diameter, to move water one way from Belton Lake into Stillhouse Hollow, with capacity of up to 9.8 billion gallons a year. The Brazos River Authority expects construction to begin in 2028 and operation around 2032. There is no reverse pumping in the design. It has drawn organised local opposition at public meetings.
Does Stillhouse Hollow have zebra mussels?
Yes. Texas Parks and Wildlife added Stillhouse Hollow and Belton lakes, along with parts of the Leon and Lampasas rivers, to its regulated waters in September 2013 after zebra mussels were confirmed in Belton. Clean, drain and dry rules apply to every boat leaving the lake.
Other lakes near Stillhouse Hollow Lake
- Lake TexomaTX/OK
- Somerville LakeTX
- Toledo Bend ReservoirTX/LA
- Sam Rayburn ReservoirTX
- Lake TravisTX
- Ray Roberts LakeTX
See current levels for all 27 Texas lakes and reservoirs →
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