General Description

The Palmetto Bend Project is in Jackson County, Texas, in the west Gulf Coastal Plain area, approximately 7 miles southwest of Edna, Texas. Palmetto Bend Dam is in the Navidad River Valley  4 miles upstream from the confluence of the Lavaca and Navidad Rivers.  The reservoir, Lake Texana, includes an 18-mile reach of Navidad River Valley and the lower portions of Mustang Creek and Sandy Creek Valleys.

Water is collected from 1,404 square miles of the Navidad River basin above the damsite.  The Lavaca-Navidad River coastal basins are about 80 miles long and 50 miles wide and lie between the Colorado River and Guadalupe River basins.

The climate of the area is mild and humid with erratic precipitation distribution, hot summers, and mild winters.  Annual precipitation at Edna has ranged from 15 to 65 inches.  Average annual precipitation increases from about 35 inches along the western edge of the area to about 40 inches along the eastern edge.  The average annual temperature is about 70 degrees.  The average frost-free period ranges from about 260 days in the upper Lavaca-Navidad basin to about 300 days along the coast.

Like other sections of the Gulf Coast, the area is subject to a damage from strong winds, torrential rains, and high tides produced by hurricanes.

Plan

The original plan of development regulates flows of Lavaca and Navidad Rivers by the use of Lake Texana to supply municipal and industrial water requirements in Jackson and Calhoun Counties, and also for development of recreation facilities, and accomplishment of fish and wildlife conservation measures.

The project, as authorized, includes an earthfill dam, concrete spillway, multiple-level river outlet works for releases of the project water supply, and the impoundment of water in a reservoir which covers about 11,000 acres at normal surface elevation. The project plan requires stage construction. Stage 1 provided for construction of a dam across the Navidad River, for development of the Navidad River arm of Lake Texana, construction of recreation facilities and, accomplishment of fish and wildlife conservation measures.

Stage 2 would include enlargement of Lake Texana by extending the dam across Post Oak Branch and Lavaca River and constructing a channel to connect the Navidad River arm of the reservoir with the Post Oak Branch and Lavaca River arms. Stage 2 would provide additional recreation facilities and fish and wildlife conservation measures similar to those accomplished in stage 1.

The annual water supply provided by Lake Texana is 75,000 acre-feet in stage 1, with an additional 30,000 acre-feet potentially available in stage 2.

Unit Facilities and Description

Palmetto Bend Dam and Lake Texana

Palmetto Bend Dam is a rolled earthfilled structure containing 5.4 million cubic yards of material, is about 58 feet high at maximum height and includes about a 1.3 mile-long section across the Navidad River floodplain and 6.6 miles of dikes.  The structure has a maximum crest elevation of 55 feet above the mean sea level, and top widths of 30 to 42 feet.  The Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation extended Farm to Market Road 3131 from Farm to Market Road 1593 to Farm to Market Road 1822.  The road crosses the 42- foot-wide section of the dam and spillway.  Soil cement provides slope protection on the upstream face of the dam to protect the dam from wave action and erosion.  Bermuda grass is planted on all downstream slopes.

The concrete spillway is 464 feet wide and has twelve 35-foot-wide by 22.5 foot-high radial gates to discharge flood flows safely past the dam to the river channel downstream, and outlet works to provide controlled releases of water.  Approximately 58,000 cubic yards of concrete and 12.7 million pounds of steel were required to construct the structure.  The spillway is able to discharge flood flows of up to 190,000 cubic feet per second.  In 1936, flood flows of approximately 94,000 cubic feet per second occurred in the Navidad River gaging station near Ganado; and in June 1973, flood flows of approximately 73,000 cubic feet per second occurred at the same location.

Downstream from the gates, the spillway structure terminates with a stilling basin.  An outlet channel extends from the spillway outlet stilling basin to the river channel, a distance of about 2,000 feet.

Lake Texana extends approximately 18 miles up the Navidad River Valley when the Lake level is at the top of conservation storage at an elevation of 44 feet, and has no designated flood control pool.  Italso extends up Sandy and Mustang Creeks, about 8 miles and 13 miles, respectively, as measured along the creeks.  At the top of the conservation pool, the reservoir has approximately 125 miles of shoreline and initially contained approximately 70,300 acre-feet of water with a surface of about 11,000 acres.  When it is at a maximum water surface level of 47 feet, the reservoir  contains approximately 204,300 acre-feet of water.  At the top of the conservation pool, the reservoir has a maximum water depth of 52 feet since the riverbed is 8 feet below sea level at the damsite.

The reservoir has been partially cleared to provide for safety of the dam structure, quality of water for municipal purposes, flood protection from backwater, operation and maintenance, and elimination of nuisances to the public.  This clearing provides sufficient open water surface areas for boating, water skiing, and fishing by trolling.  Sufficent timber and brush extend above the water surface in uncleared areas to provide protection for fishermen during windy weather and alert water skiers and speed boaters.  Areas of standing timber and brush are excellent for fish concentration and protection of the waterfowl.  Flood lanes cleared along the river and creek channels and in the reservoir fingers prevent flooding from backwater and allow unobstructed boat passage into these areas.

Outlet Works

Dual level municipal and industrial outlet works structures are located on each side of the spillway to deliver water.  They include intake structures with two 48 by 60 inch gates, two conduits and terminal structures.  The concrete terminal structure is provided for access to the conduit through the dam and for connecting the delivery system to the 60 inch diameter pipe.

The river outlet works discharges into the Navidad River and includes a multilevel intake structure with one 96- by 96-inch gate and two 48-by 48-inch gates, an 8- by 8-foot upstream conduit, a gate structure with a 96- by 96-inch gate, an 8- by 10-foot downstream basin and a stilling basin. The structure can release up to 1,800 cubic feet per second.

Drains have been constructed along the downstream slope of the dikes and dam to provide drainage from adjacent areas

Operating agency

The Lavaca-Navidad River Authority assumed responsibility for operating and maintaining the project works and planned and financed the construction, operation, and maintenance of works required to deliver the water from the reservoir to water users.  The Authority operates the project in accordance with terms and provisions of the permit issued by the Texas Water Commission, now a part of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, and contracts negotiated between the Authority, the Texas Department of Water Resources, and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Development

The area surrounding the Lavaca and Navidad River Basins was one of the first areas settled in Texas and has been principally an agriculture area.  Urban and industrial growth has occurred in the recent years where both adequate water supplies and water transportation facilities have been available.  The Palmetto Bend Project is near the center of the section that has participated only to a minor degree in the coastal area´s industrial and urban expansion.

The agricultural segment of the economy during the late 1950´s suffered from serveral years of reduced crop yields resulting from excessive rainfall during the planting and harvesting seasons.  In addition, the area lost business and population through removal of administrative offices of oil companies as part of an industry-wide trend toward consolidation of such operations.  In September 1961, Jackson County and a number of other counties suffered a severe blow from Hurricane Carla, those affected were declared as major disaster areas by the President.

Investigations

Investigations resulting in formulation of plans for development of the flows of Lavaca-Navidad Rivers were made by the Jackson County Flood Control District; the Texas Water Commission; the U.S. Study Commission on the Neches, Trinity, Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, San Antonio, Nueces, and San Jacinto River Basins and intervening areas; and the Bureau of Reclamation. The Lavaca-Navidad River Authority was created in 1969 as successors to the Jackson County Flood Control District.

Bureau of Reclamation studies and surveys in the Lavaca-Navidad River Basin and adjoining areas were made as part of the overall Texas Basins Project which was initiated in 1954. The original purpose of this investigation was to formulate an overall plan of water use and control for the portion of Texas lying within basins of streams entering the Gulf of Mexico, from the Sabine River to the Rio Grande, inclusive, and to complete a report on that plan in 1960. In 1958, however, the U.S. Study Commission was created and directed to formulate and report on such a plan for all of the area covered by the Texas Basins Project investigation except the Texas portions of the Sabine River and Rio Grande Basins. Under these circumstances, it was necessary to modify the purpose of Reclamation's investigation was necessary.

Results of U.S. Study Commission-Texas studies are presented in a report which was transmitted on May 28, 1962, to the President, and to the Congress on August 1, 1962. Texas Water Commission studies pertaining to the area are presented in a report dated May 1961.

While the U.S. Study Commission was preparing its report, the Jackson County Flood Control District was also investigating the area. Two reports were prepared that presented detailed analysis of the "Texana Reservoir".

Bureau of Reclamation studies showed that it would be desirable to develop Palmetto Bend Reservoir independent of the development of an interbasin canal from the Sabine River to the Rio Grande; however, they could later integrate the project into operation with the canal. It was intended to recommend Palmetto Bend Reservoir for authorization in the report on the Texas Basins Project. However, in 1961, Jackson and Calhoun Counties received heavy hurricane damages and early construction of Palmetto Bend Reservoir would provide invaluable assistance in restoring and expanding the economy of the area. Following conferences with local representatives in December 1961, they decided that they should submit the Palmetto Bend Project to the Congress for authorization before completion of Reclamation's report on the overall Texas Basins Project.

The report and a reevaluation statement were submitted to the House of Representatives on August 24, 1965, and were included in House Document 279, 89th Congress, 1st session. Another reevaluation statement, dated April 1967 updated the report and was used as a basis for final authorization.

Authorization

The construction and operation of Stage 1 of the project and the purchase of lands for Stage 2 were authorized by Public Law 90-562, approved October 12, 1968 (82 Stat. 999).

On December 29, 1979, Public law 96-172 stated that any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, record or other paper of the United States of Palmetto Bend shall be considered to be a reference to Lake Texana.In 1967, a local bond issue was passed authorizing the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority to enter a repayment contract with the Texas Water Development Board and the United States of America for project construction costs and to assume operation and maintenance costs of the project.

The local people, the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority, and the Texas Water Development Board expressed the need for the project at Hearings held by the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives at Washington, D.C. on August 14, 1967, and at Edna, Texas, on December 8, 1967.

The Lavaca-Navidad River Authority,  the TexasWater Development Board and the United States executed a repayment contract on February 12, 1972 for Stage 1 of Palmetto Bend Project.  The contract was validated on June 12, 1972, and construction began shortly thereafter by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Construction

The construction office was opened in Edna, Texas on March 13, 1972. Bid opening for the construction of Palmetto Bend Dam was held December 9, 1975.  Eight bids were received and the low bidder was Holloway Construction Company, Holloway Sand and Gravel Company and Holloway Sand and Gravel trucking Corporation. Collection of design data and the relocation of highways, railroads, gas lines, electric transmission lines, and city utility lines was initiated prior to award of the contract for Palmetto Bend Dam on January 16, 1976.  Work on construction of Palmetto Bend Dam began February 4, 1976. Closure on the dam was made in 1980 and initial impoundment of water began.

Benefits

Municipal and Industrial Water

The total yield allocated to Lake Texana is 79,000 acre-feet/year. Certificate of adjudication requires releases for bay and estuary system which limit the firm yield of the reservoir to 74,500 acre-feet/year.  The permitted diversions are committed as follows:

Flood Control

Flood control capacity is not provided for in the reservoir due to the topographic limitations of the site.

Recreation and Fish and Wildlife

Stage 1 has provided a 10,400 acre reservoir area for recreation and for fish and wildlife habitat. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. and the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority manage the recreation areas.

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