Saw on the news last night that the Lake Dunlap Association is looking at buying the dam from GBRA, and getting a property tax passed that would apply only to property owners that have lake front property. The guy said property owners would pay between $1000 and $3000 per lot per year. Said it would take three years to raise the money to repair the dam. Estimates run from 15 to 35 million to repair it. (his numbers) I would think that GBRA would have to get permission to sale the asset from the state legislature.

I would be against this plan because of the possibility that the property owners could make it like Lake McQueeny......private!

The charter that the GBRA operates under gives them the authority to buy or sell property without legislative oversight. The Board of Directors are appointed by the governor and approved by the state senate. but that's about the extent of involvement at the state level.

And yes, there is some probability that the landowners might try to make it private.

I have no doubt that they'd keep it private if they could. I've fished Dunlap a few times more than several years ago, and from personal experience I can say I never ran into a more aggressively unfriendly group of waterfront owners in years of fishing. Yelling, threats, etc. I know it's a terrible thing to admit, but when I first heard about the dam breaking, I thought "well, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving group of property owners."

I'm sure I'm painting with a broad brush and most of the owners on that lake are probably nice folks and are just the victims of bad luck, but the few I ran across weren't TX friendly.

Actually. none of the GBRA lakes are private including McQueeny. Anyone can use the water of the Guadalupe river as long as they have legal access to it. The land along the river is privately owned, but the water is not. If a property owner allows you to access the river using their land, you have full legal access to the entire lake. Landowners cannot restrict State given right to use a waterway. The difference between Dunlap and McQueeny is the State grants access to Dunlap because of the IH 35 ramp, open to anyone. McQueeny has no highway running through it so access is available only from a private landowner. It is not and has never been a private lake. It is a pubic lake with no public access, unlike Dunlap and Placid, thanks to interstate highways.

That is about the dumbest post I have ever read.

This is correct

wgpj Is Correct.

Per the state it is called "riparian water rights".

If you can get on the water legally then the state backs you.

No one owns the water in the rivers or dammed up rivers.

You may own the land under the water but the the State of Texas owns the water.

While technically true, property owners have and will pressure elected officials to block public access. The San Marcos river in Caldwell County is an example. The county commissioners allowed landowners to build fences right up to the bridges, and then passed ordinances to ban parking within one mile of the river. So, don't bet on public water really being public water.

I have a question. If the residents of Lake Dunlap do purchase the dam and rebuild the lake, would you be willing to pay a ramp fee to help offset the costs of the dam? For example, would a $10 fee per day or $50/ year for the sake of this discussion. This of course would mean the lake would remain public.

I pay $5 now to launch on a public/private lake on the Guadalupe.

Not a bad price. As I understand it Dunlap isn't exactly the best on bank access, perhaps public parks could be in the cards as well? I'd pay a fee to bank fish Dunlap.

If folks were smart that live on those lakes, McQueeney included, would allow public access and charge a $15 dollar launch fee, they could use that money for dam repairs and more, but I'm afraid there are enough folks that would just as soon see the lake dry than give up THEIR lake to the public.

Same thing with the small lake below Medina Dam. Don't park anywhere near the bridge, or try to move the large boulders they placed where a vehicle has enough room to park.
It's THEIR lake and you just better stay off of it!


This is nothing new, and as the populations increase statewide, it's going to get worse, if that's possible.
I've seen this happen time after time in my 72 years here in Texas.
I'm sure if I lived on those lakes, I'd feel the same, because too many people don't give a flip, and don't respect others property enough to leave it the way they found it.

LOL But they would fix it to recover their property resale value. Gonna be interesting to see if the appraiser lowers their property values.

With political pressure as weapon of choice, I'm sure they can work it out!