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No release gates available for Lake Amon G. Carter

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A photo of the spillway from the lake overflow this week at Lake Amon G. Carter. (Courtesy photo)

By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Each time Lake Amon G. Carter closes due to heavy rainfall many residents demand to know why the city won’t “open the gates” to release water from the lake to alleviate flooding.
The answer is simple, the lake does not operate with gates like some of the much larger bodies of water, such as Lake Bridgeport. Public Works Director Dean Grant said there is a small valve to allow water to be transferred to Eagle Mountain Lake if the Tarrant Regional Water District calls for their allotment of water.
Recent years have brought heavy spring rains which have caused flooding across the county.
The lake was closed on May 2 due to heavy rains. One week ago the lake was at 924.04 mean sea level and as of noon on Friday it was at 922.94. It is considered full at 920. City officials have said it will not reopen until it drops back to at least 920.

The lake and its mechanism are doing what they were designed to do in regard to overflow and discharge. The dam specifications state the maximum discharge from overflow is 149,600 gallons per minute.
Built in 1956 by the City of Bowie, Lake Amon G. Carter was modified in 1983 when the Bowie Reservoir side was constructed by the city and the two lakes connected with the boat pass/balancing conduit (tunnel).
The principal spillway drop outlet is located in what is called the lower dam on the newer side of the lake. This outlet tower rises out of the lake and has two concrete sides and two open sides with grizzly bars.

Read the full story about how the lake mechanisms operate in your weekend Bowie News.

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NEWS

National Weather Service forecast

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Ice Potential & What to Know:
– Impacts will vary over SHORT distances due to different precip types/amounts.
– Travel will be MOST impacted Thu night- Fri morning. Any water on the roads will freeze!
– Most likely ice is up to 0.15″, with a 10% chance of 0.25″.

While we are forecasting a mix of precipitation, potential has increased for more icing. This is especially true along the corridor of orange on the map below, where totals up to 0.15 inches are possible. As mentioned above, there is a 10% chance of 0.25″ of ice. Continue to keep monitoring the forecast as updates come this way. Either way, travel will become hazardous through tomorrow morning. Conditions will likely deteriorate through tomorrow night into Friday morning. 

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NEWS

Winter storm watch issued by weather service

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The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from late Wednesday through Friday afternoon for most of North Texas including Montague, Cooke, Jack and Wise Counties.
The warning states heavy snow and mixed precipitation are possible with total snow accumulations between three and six inches and ice accumulations around one-tenth of an inch possible.
Roads and especially bridges and overpasses will likely become slick and hazardous. Travel will be difficult to impossible states the report and hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes.
Winter precipitations is forecast to start early Thursday morning and increase in intensity and coverage through the day Thursday and into Thursday night before tapering off during the day Friday.
NWS officials said the greatest uncertainty in the forecast is snowfall amounts across the west and northwest counties where accumulations may be lighter than currently forecast. The map shows Montague County located in an area forecast to get 3-6 inches of snowfall. As the storm moves south it turns more to ice.
Preparedness action include monitoring the latest forecasts and updates on the weather situation. Persons should consider delaying travel during this time.
If travel is absolutely necessary consider taking a winter storm kit along with you including tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit and anything else that would help you survive in case you became stranded.
All 12 Texas Department of Transportation maintenance offices spent Monday pre-treating bridges and overpasses with brine in the Wichita Falls District. Crews in the largest cities sprayed brine on secondary highways and roads first before moving onto the primary freeways. Employees transformed more than 86 dump trucks into snowplows and adding brine tanks and sand spreaders.
Tuesday was spent laying down brine on all primary high traffic roadways and making more brine for the holding tanks and tanker trucks.
Motorists can obtain travel information, road conditions and see 15 Wichita Falls traffic cameras and 1 Vernon camera by visiting DriveTexas.org or calling (800) 452-9292. Traffic cameras are also at TxDOT.Gov. You also can follow the Wichita Falls District on its Facebook page.
If you experience an emergency on the road, call 9-1-1 for help and stay buckled up inside your vehicle.

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NEWS

Schools to close on Thursday

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The following school districts have announced they will be closed on Jan. 9 due to concerns about the forecast for a winter storm. This list will be updated as information is released or provided to The Bowie News.

Bowie ISD

Gold-Burg ISD

Montague ISD

Nocona ISD

Prairie Valley ISD

Saint Jo ISD

NCTC campuses Thursday and Friday

Forestburg is already out for the county show Thursday and Friday

Bellevue School will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

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