TOLEDO BEND PROJECT
FERC NO. 2305
DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION
EXHIBIT E - ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT
3.1 GENERAL SETTING
© Copyright 2011. Sabine River Authority of Texas
and
Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana. All Rights Reserved.
Table of Contents
EXHIBIT E - ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.......................................................................... 1
3.1
GENERAL SETTING ............................................................................................ 1
3.1.1
Sabine River Watershed ............................................................................1
3.1.2
River Basin Geography and Climate.........................................................8
3.1.3
Dams and Diversions in the Sabine River Basin.......................................9
3.1.4
Sabine River Tributaries..........................................................................11
3.1.5
Land and Water Use ................................................................................12
3.1.5.1 Land Use.................................................................................12
3.1.5.2 Water Use ...............................................................................13
3.1 General Setting
Page i
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
List of Tables
Table 3.1.1-1
Table 3.1.2-1
Table 3.1.4-1
USGS gage stations in the Sabine River Basin..................................................8
Precipitation and temperature at Toledo Bend Dam 1971-2001. ......................9
Number of Sabine River tributaries in the Project vicinity..............................11
3.1 General Setting
Page ii
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
List of Figures
Figure 3.1.1-1
Figure 3.1.1-1
Figure 3.1.1-1
Figure 3.1.1-1
Figure 3.1.1-1
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 1 of 6). ...............2
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 2 of 6). ...............3
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 3 of 6). ...............4
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 4 of 6). ...............5
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 5 of 6). ...............6
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 6 of 6). ...............7
3.1 General Setting
Page iii
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
EXHIBIT E - ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT
3.1
GENERAL SETTING
3.1.1
Sabine River Watershed
The Toledo Bend Dam is located at river mile (RM) 147 on the Sabine River along the state-line
between Louisiana and Texas (Figure 3.1.1-1). Exhibit G of the final license application will
contain detailed Project maps. The Sabine River Basin is bordered by the Red River Basin on
the north and northeast, the Calcasieu River Basin on the east, the Neches River Basin on the
west, and Trinity River Basin on the northwest. The Sabine River Basin is bordered on the south
by Sabine Lake, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
The headwaters of the Sabine River originate in northwest Hunt County near the city of
Greenville, Texas. The Cowleech Fork Sabine River flows east/southeast before joining the
South Fork Sabine River and Caddo Creek in Lake Tawakoni. The mainstem of the Sabine
River then continues southeast to the headwaters of Toledo Bend Reservoir near Logansport,
Louisiana where the center channel becomes the state line for Louisiana and Texas. The river
continues south to its mouth at Sabine Lake, 560 river miles from its origin.
Most of the annual precipitation in the Sabine River Basin occurs during the winter and spring,
with the driest months occurring in the late summer and early fall. Average monthly stream
flows typically increase from November to May with most natural runoff occurring during the
spring months. The Sabine River Basin is subject to late summer/early fall by tropical storms.
Approximately 40 percent of the total flow at the mouth of the Sabine River originates
downstream of the Toledo Bend Dam.
Hydrologic characteristics of the river, such as streamflow and stage, are monitored by U.S.
Geologic Survey (USGS) river gages located along the Sabine River. Table 3.1.1-1 summarizes
the locations of river gages in the Sabine River Basin.
Average annual releases from Toledo Bend Reservoir are 4.2 million acre-feet/year (ac-ft/yr) as
measured by the USGS’s Burkeville gage, downstream from the Toledo Bend Reservoir near
Burkeville, Texas. The Sabine River Basin drains approximately 9,952 square miles, 75 percent
of which lies in Texas (7,432 square miles), and 25 percent in Louisiana (2,520 square miles)
(Authorities 2008). The map series of the Sabine River Basin in Figure 3.1.1-1 provides an
overview of the basin.
3.1 General Setting
Page 1
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 1 of 6).
3.1 General Setting
Page 2
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 2 of 6).
3.1 General Setting
Page 3
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 3 of 6).
3.1 General Setting
Page 4
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 4 of 6).
3.1 General Setting
Page 5
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 5 of 6).
3.1 General Setting
Page 6
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Figure 3.1.1-1
Overview of Sabine River Basin and Project location (sheet 6 of 6).
3.1 General Setting
Page 7
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
Table 3.1.1-1
USGS gage stations in the Sabine River Basin.
Station Number
Upstream of Toledo Bend Reservoir
8017200
8017300
8017400
8017410
8017600
8018500
8018800
8019000
8019200
8019500
8019900
8020000
8020450
8020900
8022040
8022060
8022200
Toledo Bend Reservoir
8022500
8023080
8023400
8025350
8025360
Downstream of Toledo Bend Reservoir
8025500
8026000
8028000
8028500
8029500
8030500
8031000
Source: USGS 2011.
3.1.2
Station Name
Cowleech Fork Sabine River at Greenville, TX
South Fork Sabine River near Quinlan, TX
Lake Tawakoni near Wills Point, TX
Sabine River near Wills Point, TX
Lake Edgewood near Edgewood, TX
Sabine River near Mineola, TX
Lake Fork Reservoir near Quitman, TX
Lake Fork Creek near Quitman, TX
Sabine River near Hawkins, TX
Big Sandy Creek near Big Sandy, TX
Lake Gladewater near Gladewater, TX
Sabine River near Gladewater, TX
Sabine River above Longview, TX
Sabine River below Longview, TX
Sabine River near Beckville, TX
Martin Lake near Tatum, TX
Murvaul Lake near Gary, TX
Sabine River at Logansport, LA
Bayou Grand Cane near Stanley, LA
Bayou San Patricio near Benson, LA
Toledo Bend Reservoir near Burkeville, TX
Sabine River at Toledo Bend Reservoir near Burkeville, TX
Bayou Toro near Toro, LA
Sabine River near Burkeville, TX
Bayou Anacoco near Rosepine, LA
Sabine River near Bon Weir, TX
Big Cow Creek near Newton, TX
Sabine River near Ruliff, TX
Cow Bayou near Mauriceville, TX
River Basin Geography and Climate
The Toledo Bend Project lies within the north to south trending Sabine River Basin, which is
entirely within the West Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic region, a subdivision of the Coastal
Plain Province of the Atlantic Plain. The West Gulf Coastal Plain borders the Gulf of Mexico
and encompasses portions of Louisiana, easternmost Texas, and neighboring sections of
Arkansas and Oklahoma (Bureau of Land Management [BLM] Undated; Fisher 1965). Within
the State of Texas, the West Gulf Coastal Plain has been further divided into three physiographic
subprovinces: the Blackland Prairies, the Interior Coastal Plains, and the Coastal Prairies
(University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology [BEG] 1996).
The low, rolling hills of the Blackland Prairies are located at the northern end of the Sabine River
Basin, in the drainage area of Lake Tawakoni and the northern portion of the Lake Fork
drainage. The majority of the Sabine River drainage area (88 percent) is located within the
Interior Coastal Plains (Authorities 2008). This subprovince encompasses the lower portion of
the Lake Fork drainage and extends south to approximately 20 miles north of Sabine Lake. The
3.1 General Setting
Page 8
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
parallel escarpments of the Interior Coastal Plain are typical of the physiography of the West
Gulf Coastal Plain. The Interior Coastal Plain is known locally as the Piney Woods, and was
historically blanketed by upland oak-hickory-pine forests. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and
shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) are now the predominant species across the subprovince.
The nearly flat Coastal Prairie subprovince begins north of Orange, Texas, and slopes gently
south to the Gulf of Mexico. The flat grasslands and marshes that surround Sabine Lake and the
extreme lower reaches of the Sabine River are characteristic of the Coastal Prairie subprovince.
The average annual precipitation ranges from a low of 35 inches in the upper Sabine Basin
(above the headwaters of the Toledo Bend Reservoir) to about 60 inches in the lower Sabine
Basin near the Gulf Coast. The climate in eastern Texas and western Louisiana is typically
humid with warm summers and mild winters due to the subtropical climate. Monthly
precipitation and air temperatures at Toledo Bend Dam are summarized in Table 3.1.2-1.
Table 3.1.2-1
Precipitation and temperature at Toledo Bend Dam 1971-2001.
Temperature (°C)
Minimum
35.3
38
45.5
51.8
60.5
67.3
70.1
69.2
64.3
53.1
44.1
37.3
53
Monthly Precipitation
(inches)]
5.69
4.36
4.82
4.04
4.86
5.04
3.62
3.4
3.87
4.06
4.95
6.08
54.79
Month
Average
46.4
January
49.7
February
57.3
March
63.9
April
72.3
May
78.9
June
82
July
81.4
August
76.4
September
66.3
October
56.3
November
49
December
65
Annual
Source: NWS COOP Station 419068 (Southern Regional Climate Center 2011)
3.1.3
Maximum
57.4
61.4
69
76
84.1
90.4
93.9
93.5
88.4
79.5
68.5
60.6
76.9
Dams and Diversions in the Sabine River Basin
The farthest upstream water control structure on the mainstem of the Sabine River system is
Lake Tawakoni. Lake Tawakoni is formed by the Iron Bridge Dam, located at approximately
RM 501. The reservoir and the Iron Bridge Dam are owned and operated by the Sabine River
Authority of Texas (SRA-TX) for water conservation and municipal water supply with no design
capacity for flood control. The storage capacity of Lake Tawakoni is 927,440 ac-ft/yr and has a
minimum firm yield of approximately 238,100 ac-ft/yr (213 million gallons/day). The Iron
Bridge Dam consists of a rolled earth embankment and a concrete ungated spillway.
The Lake Fork Dam, also located upstream of the Toledo Bend Project, is owned and operated
by SRA-TX and is used primarily for municipal and industrial water supply with no design
capacity for flood control. This reservoir is located on Lake Fork Creek, which is confluent with
the Sabine River at RM 433. The reservoir covers approximately 27,690 acres and has a storage
capacity of 675,819 ac-ft and a minimum firm yield of 188,660 ac-ft/yr (168 million gallons per
3.1 General Setting
Page 9
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
day [mgd]). The Lake Fork Dam is an earthen dam with five 20-feet-by-40-feet Tainter gates
controlling the flow of water over the spillway.
The Sabine River Compact is an interstate agreement between Texas and Louisiana, approved by
Congress, regarding the allocation of the waters of the Sabine River Basin between the two
states. As a requirement of the Sabine River Compact, 36 cubic feet per second (cfs) of flow
must be provided by Texas at the point where the Sabine River becomes the state boundary
between Texas and Louisiana.
The Toledo Bend Project, the Sabine River’s only hydroelectric project, is located downstream
from SRA-TX’s Iron Bridge and Lake Fork dams. The Project is jointly owned and operated by
SRA-TX and Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana (SRA-LA). The Toledo Bend Project
extends from Murvaul Bayou at RM 279 to the spillway of the Toledo Bend Dam at RM 147.
The Project Boundary encompasses an area of approximately 204,090 acres. The reservoir has
approximately 1,200 miles of shoreline with a surface area of 185,000 and a gross storage
capacity of 4,477,000 ac-ft at normal maximum reservoir level of 172 feet. The minimum firm
yield (2,086,600 ac-ft/yr), is equally divided between Texas and Louisiana. In addition to the
primary purpose of water supply, the Project is used for hydroelectric power generation and for
recreation. The drainage contributing to the Sabine River upstream of the Toledo Bend Dam
covers an area of approximately 7,190 square miles and has an estimated average runoff of
4.2 million ac-ft/yr. Historical water levels for the reservoir range from 173.7 to 161.2 feet.
Until 2007, the Authorities operated with a normal minimum reservoir elevation of 162.2 feet.
Since amending the Power Sales Agreement in 2007, however, power is typically only generated
when the reservoir elevation is above 168 feet. Additional details regarding Project operations
are presented in Exhibit B of this application.
A series of canal systems are located downstream of the Project. The John C. Simmons Gulf
Coast Canal System (Gulf Coast Canal) in Orange County, Texas, is owned by the SRA-TX and
operated by the SRA-TX Gulf Coast Division. Water is diverted to the Gulf Coast Canal from
the Sabine River through an intake channel located near RM 25.1. The channel conveys water to
the SRA-TX pump station. The Gulf Coast Canal system consists of a 30-mile main canal and
45 miles of lateral canals that are used for municipal, industrial, and agricultural water supply
and irrigation. There are 12 diversions from the canal system with contract maximums totaling
72,009 ac-ft/yr or 64.3 mgd. The flow within the canal system is regulated by a pump station on
an intake canal located off of the Sabine River. The pump station has a design capacity of
approximately 360 mgd and a conveyance capacity of 346,000 ac-ft/yr (309 mgd) (AECOM
2009).
The Sabine River Diversion (SRD) System in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, is owned and
operated by the SRA-LA. The SRD is a water conveyance system that diverts water from the
Old River, a second, braided channel that rejoins the Sabine River at RM 18.3. Water is diverted
from the Old River at a location approximately 4 miles south of Stark, Louisiana. The SRD
consists of more than 35 miles of open channel canals, nearly 4.5 miles of underground
pipelines, four pumping stations, and five automatic control gates. The facility has a design
capacity of 216 mgd. The purpose of the SRD System is to divert surface water from the Sabine
River to supply agricultural, municipal, and industrial water needs in southwest Louisiana, and
reduce the area’s dependence on ground water.
3.1 General Setting
Page 10
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) is confluent with the Sabine River 6.3 miles upstream
from Sabine Lake. The 1,209-mile-long GIWW consists of a series of manmade canals
extending along the Gulf of Mexico from the Caloosahatchee River in Florida to Brownsville,
Texas (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] 2010; Texas Department of
Transportation n.d.). As a Federal navigation project, the GIWW is constructed, maintained, and
operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (NOAA 2010).
3.1.4
Sabine River Tributaries
The Sabine River is joined by numerous tributary creeks, streams, and bayous. Table 3.1.4-1
summarizes the number of tributaries entering the Sabine River at and below Toledo Bend
Reservoir. A description of the major tributaries entering the Sabine River downstream of the
Project is provided below.
Table 3.1.4-1
Number of Sabine River tributaries in the Project vicinity.
Location
Reservoir
Downstream from Reservoir
Total
Louisiana
35
33
72
Number of Tributaries
Texas
20
23
51
Total
55
56
123
Bayou Toro
Bayou Toro forms a confluence with the Sabine River downstream of the Toledo Bend Reservoir
at about RM 145 and has a drainage area of approximately 221 square miles. The headwaters of
Toro Bayou originate in eastern Sabine Parish, Louisiana and continue southwest for
approximately 32 miles to the Sabine River. Stream elevation near Toro, Louisiana was
recorded by USGS gages as 138.0 feet elevation.
Bayou Anacoco
Bayou Anacoco originates in Vernon Parish, Louisiana and flows southwest into the Sabine
River downstream of Toledo Bend Reservoir at RM 104. Bayou Anacoco has a drainage area of
473 square miles in Vernon and Beauregard Parishes in Western Louisiana. Bayou Anacoco has
the ability to divert outflows from Lake Vernon (drainage area: 112 square miles) to Lake
Anacoco (drainage area: 209 square miles) and continuing to the Sabine River (Freese and
Nichols 1999). Annual precipitation near Rosepine, Louisiana in the Bayou Anacoco drainage
upstream of the confluence with the Sabine River is 59.1 inches.
Big Cow Creek
Big Cow Creek originates in northwestern Newton County and flows 90 miles southeast to the
confluence with the Sabine River at RM 70.7, approximately 75 miles downstream of the Toledo
Bend Dam. Rainfall averages over 54 inches a year within the Big Cow Creek watershed. The
Big Cow Creek watershed is located in southeast Texas in the lower reach of the Piney Woods of
the Interior Coastal Plain.
3.1 General Setting
Page 11
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
3.1.5
Land and Water Use
3.1.5.1
Land Use
Together the Authorities own in fee title approximately 200,300 acres (including inundated
lands) within the Project Boundary. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) administers 3,797 acres of
federal land within the Project Boundary. The Project Boundary encompasses lands and waters
necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Project, and for other Projectrelated purposes. Detailed maps of Project features, including the Project Boundary, will be
included in Exhibit G of the final license application.
Lands adjacent to the Project Boundary are of mixed ownership and include privately owned
lands, federal, state, and local government lands. The majority of lands are undeveloped lands
with adjoining private lands managed for timber harvest or other private uses. Major landowners
include timber product companies. Uses and management practices on these lands include
timber management, wildlife habitat, recreation, and private residential development. Parishes
and counties where the Project is located do not have comprehensive land use plans or zoning
classifications. Private land uses are generally governed by building codes and regulations on
land use practices. The USFS manages federally owned land within and adjacent to the Project
Boundary in accordance with the Revised Land Resource Management Plan - National Forests
and Grasslands in Texas (USFS 1996).
Texas
The Toledo Bend Project is situated on the east side of Panola, Shelby, Sabine, and Newton
counties in Texas. The mid channel of the Sabine River serves as the Texas and Louisiana state
boundary. Panola County is located to the northwest of the reservoir, Shelby and Sabine
counties are located to the west, and Newton County is located to the south of the reservoir.
The area surrounding the Toledo Bend Reservoir is mostly rural and forested. Forested area
includes the Sabine National Forest located on the Texas side of the reservoir and occupying
lands along 250 miles of the Texas shoreline. Other recreational facilities include wildlife
management areas, picnicking areas, campgrounds, and marinas. Non-recreational land use
around the Toledo Bend Reservoir is predominantly silviculture. Ownership of the surrounding
land is a combination of federal, state, and local government, private and industrial entities.
Additional detail on land use associated with the Project is provided in Section 3.8 of Exhibit E.
Louisiana
The Toledo Bend Project is situated on the west side of De Soto, Sabine, and Vernon parishes in
the State of Louisiana. De Soto Parish is located northeast of the reservoir, Sabine Parish is
located to the east, and Vernon Parish is located southeast of the reservoir.
Similar to Texas, the Louisiana area surrounding the reservoir is primarily rural and forested,
with major land uses being recreation and timber harvesting. Two major state parks are owned
and operated by the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism (LDCRT): North
Toledo Bend State Park, and South Toledo Bend State Park. Other recreational facilities include
wildlife management areas, picnicking areas, campgrounds, and marinas. Ownership of the
3.1 General Setting
Page 12
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305
surrounding land is also a combination of federal, state, and local government, private and
industrial entities. Timber product companies are major landowners. Additional detail on land
use associated with the Project is provided in Section 3.8 of Exhibit E.
3.1.5.2
Water Use
Texas
In most instances, Texas state law requires a water right for the use of surface water. Water right
documents include certificates of adjudication and permits issued and administered on behalf of
the state by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Water from the Toledo Bend Reservoir is used at various locations for consumptive and nonconsumptive purposes. Consumptive uses in Texas include municipal, industrial, mining, and
irrigation. Non-consumptive uses include hydropower generation and recreation. SRA-TX’s
current permitted portion of Toledo Bend Reservoir’s minimum firm yield is 750,000 ac-ft/yr.
The estimated total Toledo Bend Reservoir minimum firm yield of 2,086,600 ac-ft/yr is shared
between SRA-TX and SRA-LA. Additional detail on water use is provided in Exhibit B of this
application.
Louisiana
The SRA-LA is apportioned half the minimum firm yield of the Project. Louisiana’s system of
water law is set forth in the Louisiana civil code and is similar to a riparian system. Free-flowing
waters (i.e., surface waters) are considered state owned except where riparian claims have been
made. With regard to the Sabine River Basin, the Louisiana State Legislature, in creating SRALA, authorized SRA-LA, among other things, to conserve, store, control, preserve, utilize, and
distribute the waters of the rivers and streams of the Sabine watershed. In order to improve lake
access surrounding the Toledo Bend Reservoir, the Louisiana State Legislature amended existing
statutes to restrict the use of hydroelectric power to water levels in the reservoir above 168 feet.
Other water uses in the De Soto and Sabine Parish, Louisiana include municipal, industrial, and
livestock. Public water supply is the largest consumptive use in both parishes. Additional
information on water use in the Project Boundary is provided in Exhibit B of this application.
TBend_ExhE 3.1-GenDscrptnOfRvrBsn-110502.doc
3.1 General Setting
Page 13
Exhibit E - Draft License Application
Toledo Bend Project No. 2305