RECOMMENDATION:
An ordinance approving the City of Houston’s share of funding for the Lake Livingston Spillway Gate Repair and Coating Project operated by the Trinity River Authority and appropriate funds.
NOTICE/JUSTIFICATION:
The Trinity River Authority is a conservation and reclamation district created by the 54th Legislature in 1955. Trinity River Authority manages Lake Livingston for the benefit of the City of Houston (City), with the City owning 70% of the surface water rights (806 MGD) and TRA owning 30% of the surface water rights (314 MGD). Lake Livingston surface water rights are about 73% of the City’s total water rights, which are approximately 1.1 billion gallons per day.
On September 2, 1964, the City and Trinity River Authority entered into a contract for the construction, operation, and maintenance of Lake Livingston. Under the Contract, the City pays for 70% of the operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, along with debt service on construction bonds for the Lake Livingston Project. The Contract remains in effect until all bonds are paid and for as long as Lake Livingston supplies water to the City and TRA.
DESCRIPTION/SCOPE:
Lake Livingston covers approximately 83,000 surface acres and impounds 1,750,000 acre-feet of water at normal pool level. Releases from this major body of water are controlled by a concrete spillway structure that houses twelve steel tainter gates with each gate being 40 feet in height. The structure has been in service for nearly 50 years, and it has been 20 years since the last rehabilitation project.
The proposed project scope consists of the repair and recoating of the steel tainter gates and associated metal works, spillway bridge structure, spillway stop logs, outlet tower metal works, outlet tower bridge structure, and outlet tower stop logs.
It is recommended that City Council authorize an Ordinance approving funding for the City's 70% cost sharing in the amount of $8,621,538.80 for the Lake Livingston Spillway Gate Repair and Coating Project.
FISCAL NOTE:
No significant Fiscal Operating Impact is anticipated as a result of this project.
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Carol Ellinger Haddock, P.E., Director
Houston Public Works
WBS No. S-000895-0002-7