Lake Granbury experienced historic low levels during the summer of 2009. Why was the level so different from other years?
The lake did drop to a near-historic low during the summer of 2009, hitting its lowest point of 688.83 mean sea level (msl) on September 10. Since the lakes creation, it has experienced only a few other occasions near this level in 1974, 1978, and 1986. Lake Granbury was completed in September 1969 and filled to capacity before the end of that year. Since that time, the lowest the lake has dropped was in 1971 when the level hit 885.57; just over 7 feet below the top of the conservation pool. Lows at that time were attributed to severe drought conditions. For a chart of historic lake levels, click here. The lake level was low in 2009 for a number of reasons; some naturally occurring, some man-made. First and foremost, water released from Possum Kingdom Lakes hydroelectric plant was not available to augment Granburys lake level. The hydroelectric plant ceased operations in August 2007. Without the benefit of the water released by the hydro plant from storage in Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake
