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Welcome
To The FOLM Website
Friends of Lake McQueeney (FOLM)
is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and improving the
quality of Lake McQueeney, Texas, for the enjoyment of all those who
live, work, and play on our Lake.
This site is primarily designed for our members to access
information and news about FOLM and the
Lake, contact board members, and find useful links to other
sites that may be helpful.
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LAKE MCQUEENEY RE-OPENS- WITH RESTRICTIONS
Current Restrictions:
Effective noon Friday, July 16, the entire length of Lake McQueeney is open. However, NO WAKE speed is required during the night (30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise). PULLING TUBERS AND INFLATABLES IS STILL NOT PERMITTED, currently until September 16th by order of GBRA. PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR CHILDREN OR OTHERS AT RISK.
If there are any changes to these rules, we will post them here immediately. The reason for the restrictions of no wake speed at night and no pulling tubes
and water toys is because there still remains hazardous debris that can do
damage to boats going fast and people being pulled on tubes. This is in spite
of the fact that some hard working, dedicated young men patrol and remove debris
daily.
We owe a special thanks to both the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority and Texas Parks and Wildlife personnel for their remarkable efforts to speed up the process of getting our lake open. Our lake was fortunate to have our generous members allow us to pay for the cleanup, and we have a tremendous volunteer base that speeded up this process. It appears we had less damage than Lake Dunlap or Lake Placid.
We have had a lot of volunteers working hard all week removing debris, pulling work barges and delivering materials. Additionally, Mr. Wagener, Mr. Moreno and Mr. Melsha have done marvelous work in hot dangerous conditions to accomplish the work.
Please continue to use caustion while boating on the lake, as some debris will continue to show up in flows. Like every lake, we have posted signs stating "KNOW YOUR LAKE". The intent is to remind boaters to become familiar with changes to the lake and the river. Shallow areas have changed.
Everyone's main goal is SAFETY!
How Does The Flood of 2010 Compare?
GBRA reports that the water flow at the McQueeney Dam peaked at 46,000 cfs (cubic feet per second). That places the flood level above the 2004 level, approaching the 2002 level. For comparison, the 1998 flood was over 200,000 cfs. The good news is this flood was of much shorter duration than the one in 2002.
Normal water flow can range from about 200 to 5000 cfs.
Are you prepared for future flooding?
Review Your Knowledge Here
Special Dump Fees for Flood Debris
Sheriff Deputies To Be Watching For Theft
Waste Management has agreed to a flat $25 fee for county residents dumping flood debris. The material must be flood-damaged, not construction debris from rebuilding. The only stipulations are it's for residents only and not for commercial firms or commercial vehicles, and it must be bona fide flood debris and no building materials or household trash.
Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke said people who deputies see pulling personal watercraft, boats or other objects from the river in the wake of Wednesday's flood face potential theft charges.
See The Full Newspaper Article Here
Follow-up: Sheriff says some holding boats for ransom
If you have questions regarding the removal of your property without your permission or someone has retrieved your property and is asking for unreasonable compensation, contact the Guadalupe County Sheriff's office - 830-379-1224.
Get The Full Story Here
GBRA Lake Use Study
On March 27, 2010, GBRA held a public meeting to discuss the results of their "Study of Recreational Boating Use on Lakes Dunlap, McQueeney, Placid, Nolte (Meadow Lake), Gonzales (H4) & Wood (H5)". The survey was to gather data about the following:
1. Provide an overview of the modes of use; e.g., preferred activities, timing, area of use.
2. Perceptions of lake conditions; social (e.g., crowding, safety) and environmental (e.g., lake conditions, erosion, aquatic vegetation).
3. Preferences for managing recreational boating.
4. Perceived impact of recreational boating on shoreline structures/development.
Update: The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) has posted the final report of the 2010 Study of Recreational Boating Use of Lakes Dunlap, McQueeney, Placid, Nolte (MeadowLake), Gonzales (H-4) & Wood (H-5) on their website, www.gbra.org.
Under the "In the Spotlight" heading on the Home page, the complete study is available for view, or for a brief recap of all the lakes combined click on "Executive Summary".
The public is invited to submit comments by clicking on "Submit Your Comment".
NBU Draft Permits Include Nutrient Limits
The Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued draft permits for NBU wastewater treatment plants that include limits on phosphorus discharge. This is a major victory and something that FOLM has been advocating for almost 10 years.
Go to our NBU Wastewater News page for more information CLICK HERE.
Public Boat Ramp Status
Every week we get emails asking about the boat ramp situation on the Lake. Since the closing of McQueeney Marina, there are currently NO public ramps or private, fee based boat ramps on Lake McQueeney. Existing boat ramps are either those that belong to various subdivisions for their residents use or ramps on private property. GBRA is looking at the situation in conjunction other state agencies as they develop their Lake Management Plan. We will post any updates on the situation as they occur.
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FOLM partners
with the Guadalupe Basin Coalition in Edwards Aquifer Recovery
Implementation Program (EARIP)
Click Here for more about
FOLM’s active role
in protecting the aquifer, our springs, river flow, and water sources.
This will be one of the most important issues
we deal with in the coming years.
FOLM
Contributes Toward McQueeney VFD Rescue Boat
See
Seguin Gazette Story
Remember
GBRA Watercraft Rules and Regulations
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The rules and regulations to the right were passed during the March 22,
2006 Guadalupe- Blanco River Authority’s Board of Directors
meeting. Representatives from theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department
(TPWD), the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office and Lake- Wide
Associations met with GBRA staff to consider regulations to enhance
water safety regarding the equipment and operation of towed or pulled
recreation devices; and to discuss water-safety issues in general. A
Resolution was drafted and reviewed by the TPWD, Sheriff’s
Office and the Lake-Wide Associations before being presented to the
GBRA Board. The GBRA Resolution establishes rules and regulations for
the equipment and operation of certain recreational devices referred to
as and Regulations For Lake Dunlap, Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid, Lake
Nolte (Meadow Lake), Lake H-4 (Lake Gonzales) and Lake H-5 (Lake Wood)
in Comal, Guadalupe and Gonzales counties.
Special Traffic Rules For
Treasure Island Bridge
GBRA has also established
“traffic lanes” under the Treasure Island Bridge.
Click the link below to see the map that shows the
“lanes” for boats and PWCs passing under the
bridge. Any jet ski (PWC) passing under the bridge will be at a no wake
speed. Signage will also be posted on the bridge to designate lanes.
Fishing, stopping or anchoring within
100 feet of the bridge is prohibited. The towing of tubes or
other inflatables is prohibited under the bridge.
See
Map of Traffic Lanes
GBRA's Resolution plus other
Resolutions currently in place can be found on the GBRA website, www.gbra.org,
under Lake Management.
Note: GBRA has
restricted traffic upstream by PWC's (jet skis and wave runners) from
the powerhouse across from the Bandit to the Dunlap Dam. See here
for more details.
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- Fixed Ramps, Rails Prohibited
The
installation of fixed ramps, rails, or other devices for the use of
riding or sliding with a wake-board is prohibited.
- Wakesurfing Prohibited
The use of a motor powered boat or PWC to create a wake for use of a
surfboard will be classified as a hazardous wake, and is prohibited. It
is the intent of this restriction to recognize the limited size and
narrow features of the referenced lakes, and the destructive shoreline
affect resulting from a hazardous wake that is required for surfing.
- Hazardous Wake Prohibited
The intentional use, modification, or operation of a motor powered boat
or PWC to create a wake will be classified as a hazardous wake if the
wake exceeds the level necessary for utilization for recreation, or
causes a wave action that will damage shoreline property and is
prohibited.
- Towing or Pulling of
Inflatables
A motor powered boat or PWC towing or pulling of an inflatable device,
or other devise known as a “water-toy” herein
referred to as “inflatable” that is attached by
rope or other method to a motor powered boat or PWC must be operated so
that the motor powered boat or PWC AND the
“inflatable” maintain a minimum distance of 50 feet
from another vessel, the shoreline, or a fixed structure at all times,
except when operating at head-way speed. This regulation does not apply
to an operator or individual pulling or towing a skier or wake-boarder
utilizing a hand-held rope or lanyard.
Violations of these
regulations is a Class C misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of $25
to $500.
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Setback Constructing Control Dam
After 10 years of working toward it's construction, the much anticipated flood retention dam in Comal County has had a major setback. The construction, which began in August, is on hold because of poor conditions for the base of the dam. FOLM has been contacting elected officials and will follow this situation closely as it directly impacts potential flooding on our lake and all along the Guadalupe River south of New Braunfels.
See Newspaper Article For Details
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McQueeney Marina Closes
As you boat around the lake, you
have, no doubt, noticed all the activity at the McQueeney Marina
property on Terminal Loop. This long time RV park and
campground has been purchased and apparently new homes will soon be
going up. One side effect of the all this activity is the
closing of the boat ramp at the site. Keep this in mind
should you need to trailer a boat in or out of the lake. We
will try to update new developments as we hear about them. |
For Austin
Hydrilla Information:
Read
the latest hydrilla news from Austin TV8
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Click on the links to the left or above to explore
the site. If you have any suggestions for useful additions to this
site, please go to:
Contact
FOLM
Have some fun pictures (old or new) you want to
share?
If they are related to Lake McQueeney, contact Rick Thelen via the contact page. We will
try to put new pictures on the site from time to time to keep it
interesting.
email address:
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