Industrial History: 2025

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Wirtz (LBJ Lake) and Starcke (Lake Marble Falls) Dams on Colorado River near Marble Falls, TX

Starcke: (Satellite, 64 photos)

Both of these dams were completed in 1951.

Wirtz Dam

twdb
"The dam is a concrete and earthfill structure of 5,491 feet [1.7km] long with a maximum height of 118.29 feet [36m]."

lcra
"Primary purpose: Hydroelectric power, cooling reservoir for Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant"
Generating capacity: 60mw; discharge capacity: 319,000cfs

Bill Freauff, Jun 2023

lcra

Starcke Dam

twdb
"The dam is a concrete gravity structure of 860 feet long including the spillway, powerhouse, and other facilities....Spillway is controlled by 10 roof-weir floodgates, each 60 feet wide and 15 feet high."
[I was puzzled by the gates in the various photos. I'm going to have to figure out how roof-weir floodgates work.]

lcra
"Starcke Dam is the smallest in the Highland Lakes chain, and the last one completed."
Dimensions: 98.8 feet [30,] high, 859.5 feet [262m] long; generating capacity: 41.4mw; discharge capacity: 101,000cfs

1 of several LCRA construction photos

July 24, 2024:

0:15 video posted by Lower Colorado River Authority
Floodgate operations are underway at Wirtz and Starcke Dam. Flows are faster and water levels are higher than usual downstream of the dams. Please take action to protect people and property that may be affected. More info: https://hydromet.lcra.org/floodstatus

July 4, 2025, Flood

On July 4, 2025, there was catastrophic flash flooding in Texas Hill Country. That rainstorm is working itself downstream.

Starcke Dam.

cbsaustin, (Photo/Spicewood Fire Rescue)
LCRA opens floodgates at Wirtz and Starcke dams after Hill Country floods kill at least 13.
[The count was at least 43 deaths. (I saw an updated count of 78.[YouTube])]
"LCRA officials said they may need to open all 10 floodgates at Starcke Dam throughout the evening to move floodwaters downstream. The releases will flow from Wirtz Dam through Starcke Dam and into Lake Travis, creating fast-moving water and much higher than normal levels downstream."
"The Highland Lakes flood control system is designed to pass floodwaters through 'passthrough' lakes before capturing excess water in Lake Travis, the system's main flood control reservoir."

Avery Tomasco posted

The LCRA now says that all 10 floodgates may need to open overnight at Starcke Dam to pass flood water down to Lake Travis.

That's a LOT of water moving through LBJ and Marble Falls. Lots of debris will be flowing quickly. I'd hold off on boating for the rest of the weekend.

Zack Shields on FOX 7 posted 0:10 video
Floodgate operations ongoing at Starcke Dam near Marble Falls. More floodwater heading toward Lake Travis. Thanks to Jon Clark for sharing video.
[Several comments indicate that Lake Travis needs water. Texas has been having a serious drought.]

MWRD: More Water Aeration (including Centennial Fountain and Water Cannon) in Chicago

I have written notes on cities pumping a lot of water for purposes other than water supply: MWRD pumps 1.3 billion gallons per day and Milwaukee used to pump 0.5 bgpd. These are more aeration facilities that I have discovered.

Chicago MWRD River Aeration Station

(Satellite)

On both sides of the Webster Ave. Bridge is an MWRD aeration station.

Google Earth, Jul 2019

Centennial Fountain and Water Cannon

(many photos; Satellite)

The night after I wrote the following, it occurred to me that the fountain recycles treated water, so it is not a Sidestream Elevated Pool Aeration (SEPA) Station. And I doubt the water cannon moves enough water to affect the dissolved oxygen levels. But I'm leaving it in these notes because I did a lot of work and because it is nice to see that MWRD can do something pretty, not just functional, with water.

In 1889, the Chicago Sanitary District was formed by the Illinois legislature to address the "river nuisance" in Chicago. In 1989, a successor organization, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), built this Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Plaza and Fountain to commemorate its 100th anniversary. The water arc of the water cannon is 8 stories tall and shoots 80' out. [ConnectingTheWindyCity, other sources claim the arc is 90' long]

"Mr. Melas was first elected as a water district commissioner in 1962 and remained with the district for 30 years, serving as president for 18 years before leaving the post in 1992....The water district honored Mr. Melas by naming its Centennial Fountain after him. The fountain, on the north side of the Chicago River at McClurg Court, regularly shoots an arc of water across the river. In 1998, Mr. Melas began his 10 years as a member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board." [ChicagoTribune]

LohanAnderson
[They were the architects of this structure.]

LohanAnderson
"The fountain and plaza were designed by Lohan Associates, headed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's grandson Dirk Lohan, who was also responsible for the controversial 2002 Soldier Field renovation." [ChicagoPublicArt]

Photo by Frank Geisler via TripAdviser

The cannon also obviously allows water to catch some air (oxygen). But it ran only 10 minutes each hour. And now it runs just five minutes because it was deemed a hazard to kayakers. It fires up on the hour for every hour between 10 and midnight except for 4pm. [LoopNorth] (Note the kayakers in the photo below.)

Photo by gasjoliet via TripAdviser

MWRD updated
📷 Pools of water cascade over the MWRD’s Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain before spraying an arc across the main stem of the Chicago River.

Barry Bulter Photography posted
Wednesday's Wow! Navy Pier Fireworks and the Nicholas J Melas Centennial Fountain this evening in Chicago.
MWRD posted

Summertime in Chicago ❣️

📍 Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain

Learn more:

http://mwrd.org/.../chicago-area.../centennial-fountain

PatrickJ T. via yelp, cropped

Because the riverwalk and this fountain is a popular tourist attraction, there are quite a few videos of this feature. This one has a nice selection of views. As a bonus, it starts with some drawbridge action.
(new window) The start of the fountain and cannon scenes

Saturday, July 5, 2025

July 4, 2025 Flash Floods in Texas, at least 80+13 Fatalities

San Antonio had 13 deaths and Texas Hill Country has at least 43 deaths. Texas Hill Country is the Guadalupe River in a steep valley west of Austin, TX. The area was suffering from a serious drought, but they did not need 6-12" of rain in 1-2 hours starting at 4am. Hunt and Kerrville were hit hard by the tidal wave of water that came down the river while people were sleeping. In Kerrville, the river rose 30' (9m) in 45 minutes. Of note is the Christion all-girls Camp Mystic because, of the 400 campers, 23 were reported missing after the water swept through the camp.

Meteorologist Chris Vickers posted

I have no words.

Here is what the Guadalupe river in Kerrville, TX normally looks like vs Fourth of July morning after catastrophic and deadly flash flooding. The river rose 23 FEET in just over 2 hours in Kerrville overnight. The river was less than 1 foot last night (0.3 feet) and soared with a torrent of raging water to 23.4 feet by morning. Heartbreaking to hear 13 confirmed fatalities and over 20 still unaccounted for -- many children, young girls feared swept away by flood waters at Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe river.

Prayers that many of the missing may still be found safe! 🙏

Patty Gonzalez commented on Chris' post

Patty Gonzalez: This was the river just last week. Bone dry. I was there visiting family and we were walking the river bed. I’m praying my uncle‘s house doesn’t get flooded.

Chris' photo shows that the river was close to touching the bottom of the TX-16 Bridge that is in the background of this view of Louise Hays Park. Obviously, most, if not all, of the park was under water.

Steet View, Jun 2013

Needless to say, this celebration was cancelled because during the morning of July 4, that pavilion was under water.

City of Kerrville, TX - City Hall posted 0:10 video

GEARING UP FOR A FUN DAY AT THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR LOUISE HAYS PARK

Come join us!!

This reel contains a time lapse of the water rising to swallow that pavilion. Fortunately, it would have been designed to withstand floods and probably just needs a good pressure washing.