HOUSTON The City of Houston raised the percentage of water being released from Lake Conroe into Lake Houston on Saturday.
For months, 150 million gallons per day were released from one lake to the other. As of Saturday, city officials said 165 million gallons per day were being released into Lake Houston.
The rainfall the area recent saw caused the saturated soil along the San Jacinto River and around Lake Houston, officials said. They said cooler temperatures also could provide for less evaporation if more water was released into Lake Houston.
Boaters on Lake Conroe weren t surprised by the news of the increase, but they were not happy about it either.
It s disappointing, boater Rich Scheider said. How many years is it going to be until we fill the lake back up and be able to use it like we could just this past spring?
Although the lower levels bothered some residents around Lake Conroe, others like Joe Owen and his wife were taking advantage of the water levels by treasure hunting.
You can t hunt it whenever the water is up this high, Owen gestured as he scoured the water.
According to city officials, the new water release number was expected to remain at 165 million gallons per day until the end of the year.
