Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas
Along a segment of the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, multiple historic dams owned and operated by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority have failed. These dams create small lakes along which a string of communities have deeply embedded their lives. In this paper, we present a case study investig...
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| Language: | English |
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Texas Water Journal
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Texas Water Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://twj-ojs-tdl.tdl.org/twj/article/view/7182 |
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| author | Andrew Adams Melinda Villagran Robert Mace |
| author_facet | Andrew Adams Melinda Villagran Robert Mace |
| author_sort | Andrew Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Along a segment of the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, multiple historic dams owned and operated by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority have failed. These dams create small lakes along which a string of communities have deeply embedded their lives. In this paper, we present a case study investigating the failure of the Lake Dunlap Dam and the subsequent responses at the community, regulatory, and state levels. The results highlight the social challenges of managing dam infrastructure and how the Lake Dunlap community navigated emotions, regulatory restrictions, and financial reality to create a solution that other communities along the river adopted. This case study also revealed that multiple communities facing similar issues posed by aging dam infrastructure will need alternative, less costly solutions. Future studies ought to consider the feasibility of reconstruction for aging dams across the state as well as the potential for alternatives. The case of the Guadalupe Valley Lake region dam failures and aftermath can inform policy and management regarding Texas’s vast and aging dam infrastructure.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b0ab036ad5ed48e0968fed5de00ca358 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2160-5319 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Texas Water Journal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Texas Water Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-b0ab036ad5ed48e0968fed5de00ca3582025-08-20T02:05:08ZengTexas Water JournalTexas Water Journal2160-53192025-06-0116110.21423/twj.v16i1.7182Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central TexasAndrew Adams0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8833-2899Melinda Villagran1Robert Mace2Texas State University, Meadows Center for Water and the EnvironmentTranslational Health Research Center, Texas State University Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University Along a segment of the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, multiple historic dams owned and operated by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority have failed. These dams create small lakes along which a string of communities have deeply embedded their lives. In this paper, we present a case study investigating the failure of the Lake Dunlap Dam and the subsequent responses at the community, regulatory, and state levels. The results highlight the social challenges of managing dam infrastructure and how the Lake Dunlap community navigated emotions, regulatory restrictions, and financial reality to create a solution that other communities along the river adopted. This case study also revealed that multiple communities facing similar issues posed by aging dam infrastructure will need alternative, less costly solutions. Future studies ought to consider the feasibility of reconstruction for aging dams across the state as well as the potential for alternatives. The case of the Guadalupe Valley Lake region dam failures and aftermath can inform policy and management regarding Texas’s vast and aging dam infrastructure. https://twj-ojs-tdl.tdl.org/twj/article/view/7182water resourcesinfrastructure disasterdam failurepolicy analysishistorical geographycase study |
| spellingShingle | Andrew Adams Melinda Villagran Robert Mace Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas Texas Water Journal water resources infrastructure disaster dam failure policy analysis historical geography case study |
| title | Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas |
| title_full | Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas |
| title_fullStr | Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas |
| title_short | Dam Failure and Reconstruction in the Guadalupe Valley Lakes Region of Central Texas |
| title_sort | dam failure and reconstruction in the guadalupe valley lakes region of central texas |
| topic | water resources infrastructure disaster dam failure policy analysis historical geography case study |
| url | https://twj-ojs-tdl.tdl.org/twj/article/view/7182 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrewadams damfailureandreconstructionintheguadalupevalleylakesregionofcentraltexas AT melindavillagran damfailureandreconstructionintheguadalupevalleylakesregionofcentraltexas AT robertmace damfailureandreconstructionintheguadalupevalleylakesregionofcentraltexas |