McQueeney River

It is a shame that money not set aside for the inevitable need to properly maintain the dams and they only had how many decades to come up with a long term game plan. As far as Lake McQueeney and FOLM ( Friends of Lake McQueeney - lake front property owners and supported businesses ), let them figure out their own financing to fund this private lake ( no public access ). They have already wasted state money on traffic studies to keep public off " their lake ". Every time there is a problem, they ask for tax payer handouts from flooding to Hydrilla. State / county ? already has a spot ( formerly Holiday Marina ) where locked double gates where installed by new owners years ago. Right across the street is wide open spaces for parking ( maybe a park ? ) that belongs to GBRA. Maybe somebody will make it right. Until then, Get a kayak, back to serenity and no wakeboats to ruin your day. Hurry before everybody opens tube rental businesses.

I have fished the river lakes a lot over the years. Have lot's of memories. I have responded to a lot of post on this matter and have come up with the over all conclusion. "Life Goes On"!

Well said, Mr. Banker. I'll take my fond memories of fishing those lakes and be grateful that the sun will rise tomorrow over Canyon Lake where fish can be caught if you know where to find them.

I have help friends and neighbors during two floods to rip sheet rock off walls and pulled carpet too much to help these folk out. The people I helped had no access themselves to the lake so they could not get me a way to fish it. They were friends so i did it anyways. The rest of them can enjoy the new beach in back of their house.

One landscaper / yard maintenance crew told me that he is actually mowing / seeding area for his customer. Not sure how is getting his equipment down there. Make the best of what your given, I suppose.

Yes Sir Joe Ed I know you have fished Mcqueeney just about as much as I have. Good Memories for sure!

No sympathy here. And don't ask for a taxpayer bailout to fix YOUR dam on YOUR lake that you worked so tirelessly to keep US off of.
Just call it Karma and enjoy your lakefront view.

I’ve fished lake McQueeney twice in 2 years , both times in January, plus I picked cold wet days so there wouldn’t be many people out on the lake , I put in at the power lines since I don’t have access other than that , both days I think we were the only people on the lake , neither time did we have much luck , mostly just kinda tried to catch a catfish or two , the first trip when I went to back the truck up to load up I found 2 letters on my windshield, one said I was trespassing and the other said it was a private lake and next time ide be towed , the Second trip I launched at the power lines again , fished 3 or 4 hrs and wanted to get home before dark since it was cold and we were wet , on returning to my truck somebody had backed a truck and a trailer down to the water and had just left it there , we just figured they would be right back , we were thinking they unloaded and were taking the boat home and would be right back , 3 hrs later , 7:30 at night a guy walked up made some very ugly insults about we not invited to be on their lake and abruptly drove off with trailer in tow , so just wanted to say not everyone is sad about lake McQueeney

Just got this bit of OpEd from the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung...

http://herald-zeitung.com/community...XHVVxFwuxRy058cKEg0juxJVsArinDG_6HTU0oz8

Just stay out of the taxpayers pockets. We can't use it, we don't fix it.
Their lake, their dam, their problem.. I think it's called Karma, and it can be a b---h.

I am a home owner on now the Dunlap River and an avid angler. I think the folks at McQuenney are in for a tough time raising money to fix that dam. It is currently a private lake and to expect public support now will be a challenge.

Here is the issue though, if the school districts and counties see a decrease in tax revenue because of a tremendous downturn in home valuations, they will simply raise tax rates on everyone. The schools and counties will not just eat the difference in tax revenue. They will make it up with by increasing taxes on the rest of the residents in the county or school districts. Either way unfortunately, everyone is going to pay for something.

It is not right and I don't believe the lake should be private but the folks in the county and school districts are going to have to pay one way or the other.

In my humble opinion, the simplest solution would be to allow non residents on the lake for a fee (to help offset costs) and repair the dam. That way everyone wins.

This whole situation is caused by the greed and lack of planning by GBRA. It is sad to see what Dunlap has become and what the other lakes will soon be. It is disgusting.

Are river frontage homes in other areas of the Guad typically valued at a lower rate than the homes on Dunlap, McQueeney, etc? Honest question, not pot stirring. I would think property values would still be very high for river frontage.

The Guadalupe tax judge expects the property on the lakes to decrease 40-50% with the lakes going dry. They will still be valued higher than a standard home but a tremendous amount of value will be lost.

What nobody has given any thought to is the fact that the New Braunfels area is growing, and will continue to grow as more and more people are moving to Texas, and New Braunfels is an area that is seeing rapid growth.
Look around and you will see all the construction and subdivisions poping up everywhere.
Those lakes won't be that critical even with a loss in revenue because of any depreciation.

What you are referring to is Comal county and yes, it is growing tremendously. This issue is Guadalupe County which begins at the lower half of Dunlap and encompasses McQueeney and Placid. Guadalupe Counties and the counties south of that do not have the growth. The area from Seguin south does not have that growth.

Sounds like Seguin planning and development should do a better job at recruiting businesses and new housing ( tax base ) will follow. As far as I know, there are no promises that your property will always appreciate over time. When those depreciated properties hit the market, I am certain somebody will find it a good investment and life moves on. Use that GBRA property by the dam in McQueeney to facilitate a county or state campground with lake access. Fees may only cover operations or even a portion of it, but with sharing the lake, it won't be such a bitter pill to swallow. Find one FOLM member that would even consider that thought. Good luck !

I agree with you completely. The issue though is that Seguin does not have an alternative tax base now and they depend on the money now. I live on Dunlap and as a fisherman, I don't think McQueeney should be private. Those folks are in a tough spot. It still doesn't account for the counties and schools will have to raise taxes on everyone and every business to make up for the shortfall. Seguin and the communities south cannot afford to lose any amount of tax income. Unfortunately, everyone in those counties and anyone who visits will pay for GBRA's lack of planning.

Victoria is or was in court with GBRA over water flow. It is my understanding that they were arguing loss of habitat for whooping cranes to address the lack of river flow. GBRA has also entered into an agreement with Vulcan for the new cement plant off 46 and 3009. It is a real mess and there are a lot of moving parts. GBRA seems to be focused on making money with little regard for what else happens.

With the regards to sounding like a whiner, it is not the only the fact that the lakes are going away, it is the fact that this is going to effect a lot of people and not many seem to, as of yet, truly understand that a state agency, GBRA, is not acting in the best interest of anyone but themselves. That is really the source of frustration. This is a bad deal and the public needs to understand what is going on. If a state agency can act like this here, it can happen anywhere.

Just an FYI and I will leave this thread alone.

The lake property taxes per #saveourlakes on Facebook are 10% of the total school taxes in Seguin and 18% in the Navarro School District. I understand that just because it is on the internet doesn't mean it is true. It is reported on a video where the superintendents of each school districts are being interviewed for anyone who is interested.

And how much did the Caterpillar plant bring in that used to not be there, we can play this game forever.

Just to be clear, I give you reference to a video where the Superintendents of the school districts that are being effected, are discussing the issues, and your response to challenge that information, is to ask a question that is irrelevant to the discussion? Shrewd! I didn't make this up. That plant has been there for a few years and is figured (I can only assume) into the budgets the Superintendents are discussing. Everyone has the right to an opinion even if it based on emotion versus facts. We all have the option of getting involved, learning the facts, or we can all yell liar, liar, pants on fire. Doesn't matter to me. I'm out.

If anyone is interested in seeing the information, please join the numerous facebook groups that have been formed regarding this issue. #saveourlakes #friendsoflakemcqueeney #preservelakedunlap #GBRAtexas etc.......

Come on man....socialists like GS can't handle facts.

But yet, you’re the one wanting the gov’t agency to pay for new gates. You guys are awesome, someone challenges your cry’s and you have to resort to name calling. Billy, I will try to help you understand what a socialist again, since you don’t really grasp what it means. Wanting the government to take care of you and your problems, with the help of others peoples money, is a socialist.

Just come out and say it, “we need the state of Texas to bail us out”. Don’t worry guys, MyQueeny will be just fine, you just have to follow where the money’s at.




AG, post a link to the video.

If you go and read the lawsuits, they aren't asking for tax payer money because they want a handout to keep their private lake... they are asking for GBRA to be held accountable for neglecting any maintenance since 1993, and the GBRA is appointed by the state.

They are asking for an injunction against draining the lakes while they institute a taxing entity that would tax the lakeside residents to raise funds along with private donations. GBRA is demanding they go back in with a state of the art hydroelectric dam costing an exuberant amount of money. The current dams are not built for flood control. I believe the residents are wanting to privately fund a new dam of their choosing and remove GBRA control due to their performance or lack thereof. GBRA makes multiple 10's of millions of dollars from water and waste water sales each year yet never reinvested in maintenance. In other words they operate and profit but do not maintain.

McQueeney (and Placid, Meadow and Gonzalez) are trying to save the water as it is for multiple reasons, personal and environmental. Lake Woods got the middle finger from the GBRA in 2016 and Dunlop has gotten the same here in 2019, yet the GBRA still gets to operate when they are really the only reason the dams are failing the way they are.

Times have changed and back when those dams were built, 16 foot boat with a 40 horsepower outboard was probably the " cats meow ". How many floods in the last decade ? that washed dozens of 22 to 24' wakeboats at maybe 6000 lbs. across those same gates. Just watch the videos. They hang up momentarily before plunging into pieces. I know lack of maintenance is an ongoing issue with the dams, but ask an old timer about his property erosion, but he made the sacrifice to build a retaining wall or sold and moved on. Has anybody seen results state traffic study of lake McQueeney ? Was it not one of the members ( or former ) that was involved in a incident that require air life to take some of the passengers of that vessel to SA for treatment. I can recall several situations that caused fatalities or drowning, but seems like most were not public ?

Had to be in Seguin yesterday so I drove by the launching ramp on I-10 and it was packed. People using it for the last time I guess. Lots of activity on the water and it looked like everyone was having fun. Just for curiosity took a drive around the island on the "private" lake and only saw one boat on the water. What a waste of a resource that could be benefited by more people.

Unpopular reality: Just because there is no "public" boat ramp does not make a lake "private"

Remember, the last "public" boat ramp (which was a privately owned bait shop) on Terminal Loop was voluntarily sold

I would 100% rather see a lake full of responsible fisherman than vacationing wake surfers. It still doesn't change the other fact that no matter the amount of traffic, call it private or public, that the obligations of the GBRA was to monitor, repair and maintain all of the dams in this chain of lakes.

Another unpopular reality: Just because your property isn't lakefront, if you own a home in the flood plane, you benefit from the dam and dam upkeep. You should be equally concerned

I had heard that the Mcqueeney HOA filed a temporary injunction on the GBRA's plan to drain the remaining lakes. Judge granted it. Looks like a delay on the Sept. 16th draining!



Side Note: I do not know if this is true or not!

I believe both parties will go before a judge tomorrow.

Saw on KSAT News hearing today!

All I can say is they get what they have coming. I fished that lake nearly daily for about 10 years. (Grandpa had an RV set up at the old McQueeney Marina). That lake was great when I was younger, and we would even launch at Hot Shots sometimes since we came from Seguin. As soon as FOLM began taking the hydrilla out of that lake, it went downhill fishing wise, as well as recreationally. The residents on the lake thought they owned it, and had no respect whatsoever for fishermen. That was the start of making it their private lake. Then it all went downhill and nobody could access the lake unless you were a member of the ski lodge, or knew someone with a private ramp. Then the power lines ramp was found, and people started using it, and again residents put up a stank about that. Mind you, this is a ramp that has no upkeep, and im sure the residents of the lake do not use it. I used the power lines ramp and never really had a problem, but it worked. Now your going to drain the lake, and I am all for it. The dams are not their fault I get that, but what they have done to that lake is disgusting. They got what they wanted, and now they are getting what they deserve for being the rich entitled snobs that they are.

On another note, Im sad to see Dunlap gone, and Placid and Meadow Lake gone. Many memories at both of those lakes as well, and never really felt unwelcomed at either of them. Once these McQueeney residents home value drops and they move on to another lake, I just might buy up their property and wait it out and see if the dams are fixed and the lakes are refilled. At that point, i'll probably be too old to enjoy it.

Injunction was granted. Another hearing on Sept. 16

Amen brother, perfectly said , just think nobody will
Be policeing the high lines anymore, but the tubers
Ain’t gonna be no Santa clause this year ,

The


The waiting game continues.

The home owners on McQueeny should be happy. They now have a private lake with no possibility of public intrusion. No tears shed here..

The time bomb continues to tick!
What is it they say?......They are ignoring the elephant in the room!

This injunction applies to all the lakes. I understand the frustration with McQueeney and public access. There are a lot of issues with GBRA that these hearings and lawsuits will bring public. GBRA is beginning to be exposed for what they have been doing for years. More to follow.

Homeowners did get the temporary restraining order from lowering lakes, but scheduled to go back to court next week. Either way, I am sure GBRA could close them all to recreational ( public or private ) use by way of safety concern issues. It will take years no matter what happens. I can only hope they take into account public access for any funding they may receive. Private lake - no funding !

They suggesting to get boats off of the water by the 16th regardless. You are correct, there is a good chance they close all of the river lakes to all recreational boat traffic until something can be done, which in my opinion is a better compromise than draining the lake.

That is the compromise I would hope comes out of this. To see the devastating loss of the cypress trees on Dunlap is terrible. We will never see the river (or lake) look like it did prior to the failure within our lifetime. It truly is a shame.

Don't see how the judge could keep the dams up with places like this just below the McQueeney dam (https://lakeplacidisland.com/). This business has all kinds of folks using this place and I'll bet not many of them know about the dam problems.

Son's Island is far removed from the McQueeney Dam in terms of danger if there was a failure. You're thinking of the Dam Camp, which is literally right below the dam. This camp was built within the last 2 years I believe. How they were allowed to build that close to the dam if there was such a danger present?

How long were they in immediate danger of failing prior to the Dunlap fail and how long has GBRA known about the existing danger? And why now, only after the recent failure are these an "eminent danger"

Unbelievable negligence

I would think that maybe they thought the first was just a fluke, but when #2 went, it’s a pattern. If 2 of 4 have broken, don’t you think it’s a bit more eye opening vs 1 in 4. But you know more about those lakes than I will ever want to know. Maybe they hate everyone on the river and are just looking to ruin their lives.

You do realize there are six lakes opposed to four and the spillways are on top of the dams. Dunlap failed and it took hours to drain the top 12-14’ of the lake and there was no damage, injuries, or deaths. Lake Wood was the same. I would hope they close the lakes but keep them full for ecological reasons.

GBRA isn’t out to ruin anyone. They just don’t care about anyone or anything other than selling water for the highest profit.

No sir, didn’t know there was 6. Placid, McQueeny, Dunlop & Wood are the only ones I know of. What are the other 2?

what a great story
sorry for U cats
who fish there

Meadow and Lake Gonzales.

are these also getting lowered, never read about those, all built in the same time frame?


I just googled Lake Gonzales, looks like a decent sized lake.

They will get lowered. When this takes place it will be straight river channel fishing from now on! This will have a negative effect on the fishing and will change the patterns. Only time will tell how future fishing will be.



Side Note: Have some friends who fished Lake Wood a lot. They also fished the area from Lake Wood to Meadow Lake. After the dam broke on Lake Wood several years ago the fishing went down hill and has not made a come back since.

GBRA has been trying to "bankrupt" these dams for years because whether or not there is a dam, they still get to sell water and waste water. The dams are just 1 (or technically 6) bad line items on their balance sheet. If they can get rid of the cost of the dams completely, they could get rid of any small amounts they spend on the dams and add that to their profit.