Here in North Texas (Denton) early in the season (2015) I was working on the trailer and it took a while to get the right bearings and such. That was ok as my lake of choice, Lake Ray Roberts, was 7 feet low or so at the first of April. Then in late April it filled up within a couple of weeks and was at normal level and I began to let myself get mentally ready. Then the rains came in May, and within a week it was 7 feet HIGH. Then more rain and it got to over 12 feet high. on May 30 That is over a 17 feet swing from April 1 to May30. This is very bad for the residents in the area as you can imagine. It went down a couple of feet over those next 2 weeks or so. Then tropical storm Bob landed in the middle of June and it went back up to 10 feet high. We went out to the Sanger public access park to take a look around when it was 12 feet high, and it of course was closed and the entire parking lot was underwater. The piers had been pulled out and up into the parking lot. Went over to Marina Drive and the Marina slip walkways were about a straight shot, water level was only about a foot down from the road where usually you walked down several feet to get to the docks. The Marina service bay launch was shut down. The Marina also has a private launch but it was underwater and they had pulled the floating dock up to the "new" shore.
Now to yesterday, the access park is still closed but the water had receded off the parking lot but debris everywhere and no way to tell where the ramps started. Went over to check out the Marina private launch, it was underwater before but now you could at least see where the ramp started almost. They had put the floating dock and walkway back, although the walkway was under about a foot of water and then went "up" to the floating dock. The Marina was allowing boaters to use the Marina service bay launch, pretty cool. It is big wide launch area but the trafficway is not designed for high volume regarding staging and retrieving logistics but everyone was managing well, seemed in good spirits..At least people were getting out on the lake. Navigation to and from the lake thru the private slips is kind of treacherous as the artificial tire reefs were underwater and would be difficult to find the "channel" to get past the slips and out onto the lake, and about a 5 minute drive at no wake speed. I think I will try that launch out in a couple of weeks. I brought the boat home over this weekend and it started right up, trailer is also good to go.
Here are some pics, two from last September taken as I headed down the ramp to my boat, lake was about 7 feet low. Next pics are from yesterday, from about 25 feet where the ramps would start. Lake is almost 8 feet low now.
Last September 2014...
Now June 2015...
Now to yesterday, the access park is still closed but the water had receded off the parking lot but debris everywhere and no way to tell where the ramps started. Went over to check out the Marina private launch, it was underwater before but now you could at least see where the ramp started almost. They had put the floating dock and walkway back, although the walkway was under about a foot of water and then went "up" to the floating dock. The Marina was allowing boaters to use the Marina service bay launch, pretty cool. It is big wide launch area but the trafficway is not designed for high volume regarding staging and retrieving logistics but everyone was managing well, seemed in good spirits..At least people were getting out on the lake. Navigation to and from the lake thru the private slips is kind of treacherous as the artificial tire reefs were underwater and would be difficult to find the "channel" to get past the slips and out onto the lake, and about a 5 minute drive at no wake speed. I think I will try that launch out in a couple of weeks. I brought the boat home over this weekend and it started right up, trailer is also good to go.
Here are some pics, two from last September taken as I headed down the ramp to my boat, lake was about 7 feet low. Next pics are from yesterday, from about 25 feet where the ramps would start. Lake is almost 8 feet low now.
Last September 2014...
Now June 2015...
