| Lake Stamford | |
|---|---|
| Location | Haskell County, Texas |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Paint Creek |
| Primary outflows | California Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 5,125 acres (2,074 ha) |
| Max. depth | 45.3 ft (13.8 m) |
| Water volume | 51,573 acre·ft (0.063614 km3) |
| Shore length1 | 63 mi (101 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,416.8 ft (431.8 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Stamford is a reservoir formed by Stamford Dam. It is located 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Stamford, Texas in southeastern Haskell County, Texas. The lake had a storage capacity in 1999 of 51,573 acre feet (63,614,000 m3) and drains an area approximately 360 square miles (930 km2). Due to sedimentation, the estimated capacity as of 2011 is approximately 50,277 acre·ft (62,016,000 m3).[1] The City of Stamford owns the lake and half the water rights to Lake Stamford (AEP currently owns the other half). The city also owns, operates and maintains associated Stamford Dam. Lake Stamford serves as the municipal water source for Stamford, Texas and several small neighboring communities.
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Construction for Lake Stamford and Stamford Dam started July 14, 1951 and was completed in March 1953. Deliberate impoundment began in June 1953. The design engineer for the project was Freese and Nichols and the general contractor was L. & S. Contractor. The dam is an earthfill embankment approximately 3,600 feet (1,100 m) long and has a maximum height of 78 feet (24 m). The estimated cost of the dam was $289,365.00.[2]
Since impoundment in June 1953 and initial filling, the lowest water level in Lake Stamford occurred on four days in October 2000. On October 20, 2000 the lake was 15.8 feet below conservation pool elevation, held 6,760 acre feet (8,340,000 m3) of water, and was 13.1% full.[3]
On July 12, 2011 the Stamford city council approved the sale of all "excess water" from Lake Stamford for use in Tenaska Energy's Trailblazer Energy Center in Nolan County, Texas. [4] According to the contract, the exact amount of water to be taken can be adjusted according to a redefinition of the "safe yield", but is currently estimated to be 773 acre·ft (953,000 m3) per year. The length of the contract (effective July 18, 2011) is either 30 years (starting when the plant begins operation) or 45 years from the date of the contract, whichever is earliest.[5] Tenaska also has at its option two 10 year contract extensions, plus three additional 10 year extensions subject to approval of Stamford (which "shall not be unreasonably withheld").
Tenaska and its use of water is not subject to any water conservation or drought contingency plans enacted by Stamford. In addition to the 773 acre·ft (953,000 m3), Stamford will sell Tenaska all of its effluent water of approximately 250,000 gallons/day (280 acre·ft/year). The proposed coal-fired power plant would be located 37 miles southwest of Stamford and 47 miles southwest of Lake Stamford.
American Electric Power (formerly West Texas Utilities) has a gas-fired electric generating power plant located at Lake Stamford. The plant has a generating capacity of 218 MW. When operating, water is pumped directly from the lake for industrial (cooling) purposes. The plant was put into inactive status and mothballed in September 2002.[6]
AEP holds half the water rights in Lake Stamford. AEP's water supply contract with Stamford expires September 16, 2041 but can be extended by AEP for one additional 10 year term.