SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Four area lakes will not be drained for now. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority was scheduled to dewater the lakes starting today, but a judge put a temporary hold on that as a hearing continues.

The GBRA claims the draining of the lakes is necessary because of safety concerns over aging dams, which are over 90 years old. They cite the collapse of the dam at Lake Dunlap in May and the dam at lake Wood in 2016.

Two groups of lakeside property owners have filed lawsuits aimed at blocking the draining of Lake Gonzales, Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid and Meadow Lake.

“The GBRA is statutorily required to maintain, repair and replace all of its assets, which include the six dams,” said attorney Doug Sutter, who represents 300 plaintiffs in one of the suits.

The GBRA has said it does not have the funds to pay for repairs, but property owners claim there are other options to avoid draining the lakes. They’re asking a judge to issue a temporary injunction to prevent the dewatering of the lakes until the lawsuits go to trial.

A hearing was scheduled to resume at 10 this morning at the Guadalupe County Justice CenterĀ  in Seguin.

 

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