UPDATED: Northeast Texas facing drought, burn bans, reports RussJFK

by John P. Meyer

PegNews user RussJFK (a.k.a. Russ Vandeveerdonk) appeared on NBC 5 news broadcasts yesterday (Saturday, Dec. 5) at 6 and 10 p.m., giving a guided tour of his "waterfront" property on Lake Tawakoni - which now looks like you see it in this photo (provided by Russ).

As recently as Sept. 15, judging by the other photograph he sent - or "a few weeks ago," as stated in the Channel 5 news report - the water level was smack up against his lake lot, where it's supposed to be.

Judging from this report in the Greenville, Texas Herald Banner, Russ' problem isn't confined to just his lakeshore (he speculates on camera that the generally dry conditions may have led those in charge of reservoir water to release more than usual from the dam) - Fannin County has already enacted a burn ban, and Hunt County (home of Greenville, about 50 miles ENE of Dallas) is considering it.

Bottom line: heaven knows we need us some rain.

UPDATE: New report from Russ has it that the waterline - which was roughly 1,000 yards out from his property over the weekend - has encroached dramatically, until it is now "only" 300 yards away. Says Russ: "... looks like the Sabine River Authority got wind of the low water levels on the lake, as of 8:30 am the water levels have increased by about 25 %." So presumably they both shut the floodgates on the Tawakoni dam and opened them somewhere further upstream.

Now, if we can just eke a bit of rain out of tonight's weather system, which (according to NOAA) will bring us a 70% chance of precip.

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