Illegal Dam/Crossing on Guadalupe

Guadalupe River dam/crossing, December 14, 1996	Guadalupe River dam/crossing, December 14, 1996	David Reichert, Alamo City Rivermen, at the Guadalupe River dam/crossing, 12/14/96	Nancy Burns, Alamo City Rivermen, at the Guadalupe River dam/crossing, 12/14/96

Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 17:02:08 -0800

From: Reichert 

Organization: Mitchell-Reichert

To: canoeTX@world.std.com

Subject: Dam-Bridge on the Guadalupe

Sender: canoetx-approval@world.std.com

Reply-To: Reichert 



Quick Trip on the Upper Guadalupe



One day after work back in September, Modrea, Robert Wood & I paddled

down from Guadalupe River State Park to Specht’s Crossing.  The flow was

around 65 cfs, just barely enough to float the boats, but it was a

beautiful day and it was great to be there.



About half way through the trip (just above Curry Creek) we came across

a small dam that wasn’t there in the past.  It backed the water up about

two feet and had a riverwide hydraulic at the bottom.  Not a hazard at

this water level, but a potential problem at higher water.  This was the

only place we had to get out of the boats—there was only a couple of

inches of water flowing over the structure.



When we got up on it, it was apparent that it wasn’t supposed to be a

dam, it was a bridge or a road.  It had one small culvert that let some

water flow through, but not enough to break up the small hydraulic at

the bottom.



Continuing down river, we came across another interesting addition to

the river just above the new high bridge.  There was a cable angling

down across the river.  Apparently kids were climbing a tree on river

right where the cable was attached in the tree tops and sliding down the

cable (attached about 5 feet above the water line on river left) on a

hand-held pulley-type device.  That’s probably lots of fun on a summer

day, but will probably be hazardous to boaters at higher water.



I complained to the South Texas Water Masters office (TNRCC) about it. 

They said that would investigate, but that it was only a problem to them

if it impounded water.  If it did, it would need a permit.



I also wrote or called to complain to various folks at the Attorney

General’s Office, the General Land Office, the main TNRCC offices, &

Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.



A deputy from the Water Master’s office went out to investigate.



Apparently my letters are not causing much stir.  We need a bunch of

letters.  I am including a lot names and addresses on the next page. 

Please write some of these folks (someone at each agency) and complain

about this dangerous and illegal structure.  Letters to the Attorney

General are most likely to get some action.  Lets get it removed before

someone gets killed.



   --David Reichert





Addresses for letters Complaining about Dam/Road



It would be helpful to have letters sent to the following people and

agencies (particularly the Attorney General) complaining about the

dangerous and illegal structures on the Guadalupe River (see description

in earlier story).  The bridge is on the Guadalupe River in Comal County

just above Curry Creek (about a mile below Honey Creek) and just below

the State Park.  It backs water up a couple of feet creating a small

lake.  The cable across the river is less that a mile above the Specht’s

Crossing high bridge.

________________________________________________



Mr Dan Morales			Mr Hal Ray, Jr

The Attorney General		Chief Natural Resources Div



Mr Joe Riddell			Mr Ken Cross

Natural Resources Div		Natural Resources Div



Office of the Attorney General

PO Box 12548

Austin TX 78711-2548



Mr Garry Mauro			Mr Spencer Reid

The Land Commissioner		Senior Dept Commissioner



General Land Office

1700 N. Congress

Austin, TX 78701

_____________________________________________________________



Mr Barry McBee			Mr John M. Baker

Chairman				Commissioner



Mr Ralph Marquez			Mr Dan Pearson

Commissioner			Executive Director



Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission

PO Box 1254

Austin, TX 78711-308

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -



Mr Toby Cisneroz

South Texas Watermaster

TNRCC

140 Heimer Rd, Suite 360A

San Antonio, TX 78232





Mr Andy Sansom			Mr Duncan Muckleroy

Executive Director		Superintendent, Guad Riv St. Park

Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept	3350 Park Rd 31

4200 Smith School Road		Spring Branch, TX 78070

Austin, TX 78744-3292          

_________________________________________________________



Mr Tom Goynes		

President

TRPA

PO Box 219

Martindale, TX 78655

_________________________________________________________



If you could send at least one letter to each agency it would really

help.  Just ONE letter to the AG's office would be a big help. 



Some letters to folks in Comal County Officials and the Water Oriented

Water District  would probably also be appropriate.  I don’t have those

names & addresses available at this time.



You might keep in mind that some of these people have little real

authority over the matter and that some of them are our friends—good

friends.



 David Reichert