https://ktxs.com/news/abilene/winte...possible-rise-in-big-country-lake-levelsABILENE, Texas — After record-breaking rainfall last month, lakes across the Big Country are at maximum capacity.
With over a foot of rainfall in October alone, lakes were flowing over the spillway, specifically at Lake Fort Phantom Hill.
"All the lakes have plenty of water in them and it's partly a blessing, but it can become a problem," said Hector Guerrero from the National Weather Service's office in San Angelo.
Guerrero said that any more rainfall could start to cause some problems.
"Anything that is going to fall as we go into the winter season, it's gonna run off, and if we get too much of it all at one time, that will become a problem in some of our area lakes here in the Big Country," said Guerrero.
Although there has not been any measurable amount of rainfall for some time now, lakes are still full across the region.
The current lake levels as of Monday afternoon are:
-Lake Fort Phantom Hill: 0.7 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last month and remaining steady.
-Lake Abilene: 0.2 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last month and remaining steady.
-Lake Stamford: 1.1 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last month and slowly decreasing.
-Oak Creek Reservoir: 0.5 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last month and slowly decreasing.
-Hubbard Creek: 0 feet above the spillway and 99.8 percent full and remaining steady.
-Lake Brownwood: 0.7 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last month and remaining steady.
-O.H. Ivie Reservoir: 20.2 feet below the spillway and 45.2 percent full and slowly increasing.
-Lake Sweetwater: 0.2 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last week, but remaining steady.
-Miller’s Creek Reservoir: 1.0 feet above the spillway and 100 percent full for the last month and slowly decreasing.
The official start of winter, December 21, is in less than a month and cooler temperatures will stick around, leaving more water in the lakes than compared to what is typically seen during the summertime.
"We're definitely into that late fall and getting ready to go into early winter season here pretty quickly, and because of that we have quite a bit less evaporation than we see during the summer months," said Guerrero.
Guerrero said that Abilene sees an average of about a little over three inches of rain from December to February, but an El Nino season could be on the horizon.
