One illegal dam destroyed but others discovered
The James River now flows freely after the demolition of an illegal private dam in Mason County, showing just how much water was kept from heading downstream. The dam was destroyed in early May as ordered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Photo courtesy of Scott Zesch
An illegal dam in Mason County has been demolished, restoring uninterrupted flow to the James River, which eventually feeds into the Llano River, Lake LBJ, and, ultimately, Lake Travis. The structure was destroyed in early May, but since then, other illegal dams have been discovered that could spell trouble for Leon Creek and the Pedernales River.
The private dam on the James River was built on a Mason County ranch owned by Bill Neusch. After its discovery and public backlash, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ordered Neusch to develop a plan for restoring the river to its natural state in September 2023. The TPWD said the dam violated Chapter 86 of the Parks and Wildlife Code, which governs the management of public waterways.
Neusch complied with the order, submitting his plan by December 2023. The TPWD accepted it in April.
The plan called for removing the 310-foot dam from the bed of the James River but allowed for two concrete ramps to be left on its banks so the river could be crossed when low. The dam was completely gone by May 23.
OTHER DAMS
Dams became a hot topic in 2023 when a proposed private structure across the South Llano River drew an immense amount of public backlash. The Waterstone Creek dam was never built as the property owner withdraw the permit application in October 2023.
That permit withdrawal and the demolition of the James River dam were big wins for water warriors, but other dams have been discovered within the Colorado River watershed.
According to reports from KXAN news, another illegal dam is on Mason County’s Leon Creek, a Llano River tributary. The dam reportedly does not have a permit with TPWD, which could violate Chapter 86 as the James River dam did.
Scott Zesch, a Mason County landowner who has been following the saga of illegal dams, told DailyTrib.com he has connected with Gillespie County landowner Kathy Lewis, who is advocating against a private dam on the Pedernales River. The Pedernales is a tributary of the Colorado River, which feeds into Lake Travis.
A study by hydrologist Jordan Furnans for the Texas Water Development Board found that an estimated 12,500 unregistered ponds hold around 35,000 acre-feet of water in the Upper Colorado River Basin—nearly four times the size of Lake Marble Falls—and most of these impoundments are on private property.