Court of appeals issues decision in lawsuit against Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
Following the 2019 Lake Dunlap Dam collapse, legal battles between property owners and the agency who maintains the dams poured in. Author: Troy Kless Updated: 6:06 PM CDT July 15, 2021
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas Following the Lake Dunlap Dam collapse, some property owners have gotten involved with legal action against the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.
According to the GBRA, a decision issued in the Williams v. GBRA case claims the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to sue the agency.
Property owners along the other lakes, like Steve Pritchard feel the maintenance and upkeep of the dams is critical.
Below the spillgates at Lake McQueeney
The Fourth Court of Appeals has sided with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) in a legal battle with lake property owners.
The court recently found property owners had no legal standing to sue the authority over property improvement losses after spill gates on two of its dams collapsed in recent years.
Lakes Wood and Dunlap were drained by collapsed spill gates, and then the GBRA lowered water levels on its other lakes out of fears similar spill gates on those dams would collapse, too.
Plaintiffs Attorney Doug Sutter plans to appeal the decision. He said the GBRA licensed those improvements, like docks and boat houses.
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority won a victory this week in its fight with property owners along four of the Guadalupe Valley Lakes in and around Guadalupe County.
The Fourth Court of Appeals rendered a decision in the Williams v. GBRA case, holding that the property owners lacked legal standing to sue the river authority, according to a statement the river authority released Wednesday.
The appeals court ruled the property owners could not prove that they were harmed by GBRAâs actions, GBRA said.
âWe are pleased with todayâs timely and decisive decision from the Court of Appeals,â GBRA General Manager and CEO Kevin Patteson said. âThe decision further demonstrates that cooperation and collaboration is the path forward for the Guadalupe Valley Lakes. The collective effort continues to yield results: Construction is underway on the Lake Dunlap dam with Lake McQueeney and Lake Placid to follow, thanks to the formation and voter confirmation of Water Contr
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Comal County Commissioners met for a third time with Canyon Lake area residents on the plan to revise rules at the nine county operated boat ramps, which wonât happen before the July 4 weekend.
Commissioners on June 10 tabled a vote until Thursday to hear from citizens who appeared that day and again June 16 to get more on the proposals, which County Judge Sherman Krause said would enforce existing water safety measures authored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority â and also control overcrowding and rowdy behavior.
Krause commended residents on their assistance in coming up with suggestions for solutions. He pointed to a recent Herald-Zeitung editorial that praised residents working with the county instead of blaming commissioners for problems all agree stem from growth.