Tradinghouse Lake getting new beach, upgrades ahead of rowing regatta

Heavy equipment smooths out sand for the new beach at Tradinghouse Lake. The county also is working on roads around the lake, repairing a boat ramp and updating a dock.

McLennan County's work at Tradinghouse Lake arrives a little more than a month before it is scheduled to host the Texas State Rowing Championships for the first time.

Heavy equipment smooths out sand for the new beach at Tradinghouse Lake. The county also is working on roads around the lake and updating a boat ramp.

Big trucks rumbled through rolling hills and past grazing cattle to deliver sand, rock and crushed gravel Tuesday to Tradinghouse Lake, which has a regatta to host.

The lake 9 miles to Waco's east, just off State Highway 6, is getting a beach, road repairs and an upgraded boat dock. County officials said the work is sorely needed, and the fact it arrives about a month before the lake hosts its first Texas State Rowing Championships is frosting on the cake.

"I am elated over the fact that the county has decided to grow the public attraction to Tradinghouse Lake as a park and recreation site," said Precinct 2 Commissioner Patricia Miller, who represents the area. "Creating a sand beach and swimming area should prove to highlight the recreational features of the park to our community. The fact that we’re saving tax dollars because we have in the in-house talent and most of the equipment is also gratifying."

Tradinghouse Lake near Waco is getting a beach, road repairs and an upgraded boat dock before the lake hosts its first Texas Rowing Championships.

The drought has taken its toll on Tradinghouse, which has shrunk 2 to 3 feet below normal, said Clayton Skinner, whose position in the county's maintenance department includes monitoring the lake. He spent much of Tuesday checking paperwork presented by truck drivers.

"It has done a number on the lake," Skinner said of the conditions that have practically drained the sloughs of moisture, leaving them high and dry. Other areas usually water covered are revealing their secrets.

"Lake At Low Level," says a posting where Tradinghouse Park 1B Road crowds the waterfront. "Use Boat Ramp At Your Own Risk."

It appeared no one had accepted the challenge around noontime Tuesday. No boats were visible on a lake long popular with anglers pursuing largemouth bass or crappie.

Heavy equipment smooths out sand for the new beach at Tradinghouse Lake. The county also is working on roads around the lake and updating a boat ramp.

On a thread at Texas Fishing Forum, where anglers trade stories and tips, one post says of Tradinghouse, "Has been good to me in the past, but more often than not it fishes like a mud hole." On another thread, a post says, "Best place to fish on that lake are the dam and the discharge." Another warns of dangers lurking near a boat ramp, saying a large hole damaged a license plate.

"We will be repairing the boat ramp at Hall Drive," county facilities director TJ Jackson said. "Not that it is in bad shape, but the water level has dropped so much, it is too shallow there to launch a boat, to back a boat into the water. We’re going to do a little digging, make it deeper and safer."

Two years ago, the county extended the ramp by 20 feet, Jackson said. He said the drought obviously has impacted water levels, but so might have water releases by Luminant, an energy company that controls the lake.

Luminant released a statement saying, "Significant rain events occasionally raise the level of Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir to the point where Luminant releases some water from the dam to maintain a safe freeboard.

"Tradinghouse is not a constant level reservoir and never has been. The water level will fluctuate based on the rainfall in the lake's watershed. We operate the reservoir so the level is safe and manageable."

Heavy equipment smooths out sand for the new beach at Tradinghouse Lake. The county also is working on roads around the lake and updating a boat ramp.

Jackson said the county has budgeted $66,000 to create the beach, including sand and transportation. Sand providers include Dead River Ranch Materials in Riesel and another processing facility in Asa. Central Texas Crushed Concrete will supply 240 tons of product for road repairs around the lake, Jackson estimating the cost at $2,200. Twisted Nail Sand and Gravel will provide trucking services, complemented by heavy equipment used by road and bridge crews from at least two commissioners’ precincts.

"We’re hoping to have it done within the next three weeks," Jackson said. "We’ve had this work set aside in our park master plan for years and years. The regatta gives us a chance to take the leap and get it done."

Repairing the boat dock, making the launching area deeper, will cost about $6,000, with $4,400 for material, $1,600 for labor, Jackson said.

Using in part grants from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the county invested about $350,000 in Tradinghouse Lake a few years ago, installing picnic tables, restrooms, campsites and docking facilities.

"In regards to the repairs to the roads, that work normally falls under ongoing maintenance due to traffic and use," Miller said. "And, Precinct 2 has always been available to assist the maintenance department in those endeavors and will continue to offer that assistance. I am also proud to be, if not the only, the first McLennan County commissioner to utilize a local vendor for the crushed concrete/rock material that will be used at the lake.

"I have found that material to be a great solution to help stabilize the soft, claylike foundation of the roads in Precinct 2, Tradinghouse Lake included. The repairs to the boat dock tends to be more sensitive since the county does not have any say over the level of the lake. … The proposed work, to stabilize the ramp with riprap, is a great solution at this time."

Organizers have said the rowing races scheduled April 21-23 at Tradinghouse Lake will attract thousands of competitors and supporters.

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Mike Copeland is a Waco native who attended Baylor University and joined the Tribune-Herald in 1978. He's been covering local business since 1992.

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