05-C Lake Crook Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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Cit~ of Paris Stud~ of Lake Crook March, 2001 2.0 BRIEF HISTORY OF LAKE CROOK 2.0.1 Historical need for the lake. The history of public water supply in Paris dates back to the fire of 1877 which destroyed a large portion of 'downtown' Paris north of the railroad to the county square and stirred the interest of a number of private promoters including the Paris Water Works and Artificial Ice Company formed in 1878. However, it was nine years later in 1887 that the first pipes were actually installed in the ground for the purposes of a public water system. After flirting with the use of water wells, sometimes with more success than at other times, the city decided near the turn of the century that surface water from a lake was more reliable. By 1899 Lake Gibbons was built but it was not until 1904 the pump station and pipeline were 'on line' furnishing the city's water needs. By 1911, expanded use of the lake and a severe drought proved that the small lake could not sustain Paris and the lake was expanded. Worries about the dam bursting during periods of heavy rain prevailed when people were not worried about drought. The following was taken from the intemet site provided by the Texas State Historical Agency (http//"www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook): Lamar County has suffered several major disasters since its establishment. In August 1877 a fire destroyed nearly three-fourths (ten acres) of the downtown business district of Paris. Recovery was rapid, and stronger building ordinances induced residents to construct many of the new buildings of brick. On March 21, 1916, much of the town was destroyed by the "Great Fire, "which began in the southwest section of town and, assisted by winds estimated at forty miles an hour, burned from 5:30 P.M. to 3:30 A.M. and devastated 260 acres. More than 1,400 structures were destroyed, including most of the downtown business district. The total monetary loss exceeded $11 million. Miraculously, only four lives were lost. These two fires kept the need for an adequate fire fighting water supply foremost in the minds of city officials for decades. Finally in 1920, the city council, citing a need for a dependable water supply for future growth, called a bond election and $1.0 million was subsequently voted in September, 1920 to create a new lake on Pine Creek northwest of Paris. Engineers were hired to prepare plans and bids were taken for construction of what was in 1922 to be named Lake Crook in honor of then retiring mayor J.M. Crook who was instrumental in starting the project in the first place during his tenure and was responsible for purchasing the land on which the lake sits. [By the way, he was authorized by the city council to offer aH the way up to $22.00 per acre for the lake site.] In June, 1923 just about one year after construction actually had begun, the lake was dedicated. A water rights appropriation authorizing withdrawal of up to 12,000 acre-feet per year (or the equivalent of 10.7 million gallons per day)was granted to Paris by the State of Texas. Since that date, although repairs have been necessary to the concrete spillway occasionally, the only significant construction on Lake Crook has been the expansion of the water treatment plant in 1943, 1966, and 1985. The plant was enlarged to 36 million gallons per day capacity in 1995 with the completion of Lake Pat Mayse by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The city now can receive about 28 million gallons per day from Lake Pat Mayse in addition to approximately 8 million gallons diverted to create electrical power. The city frequently drafts 4 to 8 million gallons per day from Lake Crook. Page 11 of 45