Crooked Lake Texas is a natural, seepage, pothole or ground water level lake. It is not a spring-fed or tributary-fed lake, nor does it have any inlets or outlets. It relies on precipitation and runoff to maintain its level. The lake also serves as a recharge basin for the aquifers below the surface and this "draining" effect, coupled with warm weather evaporation, significantly lowers the lake level during the summer months. Therefore, to maintain a lake level that allows all lake property owners access to the lake, the Crooked Lake Texas Association installed a pump in 1965. The cost of purchase, installation and operation of this pump was paid for by the lake members based on voluntary contributions.
As the original pump aged it required more and more maintenance. Since a higher lake level benefits all property owners, it was determined that the cost of operation and maintenance of the pump should be shared by everyone. Therefore, a petition to create a Special Assessment District was presented to the lake property owners in 2000 and the measure passed. In spite of the increased revenue to maintain and operate the pump, the original pump continued to lose efficiency and the lake level receded significantly. A lower lake level has many consequences:
It became apparent that to maintain a desirable lake level a new pump would be needed. The lake property owners were petitioned once again to approve the purchase of a new pump. The measure passed and a new pump was installed in 2002. Shortly after installation the original pump completely failed and was removed.
| Crooked Lake Texas Lake Level Monitoring |
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The CLTA has established a desired lake-level mark for the lake of 895.45 feet above sea level. The CLTA Board takes monthly readings of the lake level based on a civil engineering benchmark and using sophisticated level measuring devices. Lake level monitoring officially started in February, 2006. Below are the monthly measurements:
| Month/Year | Measurement (ft. above sea level) | Pump Status |
|---|---|---|
| February, 2006 | 893.82 | Running, but screen is plugged and maintenance scheduled |
| March 22, 2006 | 893.86 | Running, pump still in need of repair. |
| April 14, 2006 | 893.78 | Pump being repaired, currently not running. This is one reason why the lake level has dropped since last month's reading. |
| May 5, 2006 | 893.5 | Pump running but not at full capacity. Trying to determine exact reason as pump is mechanically sound and clean. |
| June 2, 2006 | 893.5 | Same pump status as May. CLTA Board is obtaining a second opinion on the well and pump. |
| July 3, 2006 | 893.2 | Water level is down 4.53 inches since June reading. The pump is running but less than 1/2 capacity. Well cleaning and pump repair is scheduled for July 24, 2006 |
| July 27, 2006 | 892.9 | Water level is down 3.5 inches since July 3 reading. The pump is currently torn apart for cleaning and pump upgrades. We hope to be up and running at a much higher output rate sometime next week. |
| September 1, 2006 | 893.00 | Water level up 1 inch from July 27 reading. Pump is running. |
| October 6, 2006 | 893.2 | Water level up 2.75 inches from Sept. 1 reading. Pump is running. |
| November 15, 2006 | 893.4 | Water level up 2.25 inches from Oct. 6 reading. Pump is running. |
| December 15, 2006 | 893.75 | Water level up 4.25 inches from Nov. 15 reading. Pump is running. |
| January 12, 2007 | 894.00 | Water level up 3 inches from Dec. 15 reading. Pump is running. |
| March 12, 2007 | 894.42 | Water level up 5 inches from Jan. 12 reading. Pump is running. |
| April 13, 2007 | 894.59 | Water level is up 2 inches from March 12 reading. Pump is running. |
| May 7, 2007 | 894.42 | Water level is down 2 inches from April 13 reading. Pump is running. |
| June 7, 2007 | 894.25 | Water level is down 2 inches from May 7 reading. Pump is running. |
| July 18, 2007 | 893.5 | Water level is down 8.55 inches from June 7 reading. We've had virtually no precipation over the last month. Pump is running. |
| August 23, 2007 | 893.65 | Water level is up 1.25 inches from July 17 reading, due in large part to some heavy rains. Pump is running. |
| October 11, 2007 | 893.25 | Water level is down 4.55 inches from August 23 reading. Pump was down two weeks due to equipment problems. Now back up and running. |
| November 14, 2007 | 893.34 | Water level is up 1 inch from October 11 reading. |
| March 26, 2008 | 894.67 | Water level is up 16 inches from the November 14, 2007 reading. |
| May 20, 2008 | 894.73 | Water level is up 3/4 inch from the March 26, 2008 reading. |
| July 10, 2008 | 894.53 | Water level is down 2.46 inches from the May 20, 2008 reading. |
| August 20, 2008 | 894 | Water level is down 6.25 inches from the July 10, 2008 reading. |
| October 4, 2008 | 894.63 | Water level is UP 7.45 inches from the August 20, 2008 reading. This is due to the extremely heavy rainfall (approx. 10 inches) in September. |
| November 19, 2008 | 894.84 | Water level is up 2.55 inches from the October 4, 2008 reading. We are within 7 inches of our target lake level. |