Where The Rain Needs To Fall
By: Bryan Rupp
Updated: February 7, 2013
Many Texomans' feel excitement when they here there is a chance of rain in the forecast. And, rainfall is good news but we shouldn't get excited, at least not yet. The time to get excited is when we know that the rain is falling or is forecast to fall inside the Wichita Falls Watershed. What is the watershed you ask?
The Watershed is a very specific geographic area in and outside of Texoma where the rain must fall to properly flow into the Wichita Falls water supply.
Our water supply comes from three lakes in Texoma: Lake Arrowhead, Lake Kemp and Lake Kickapoo. And getting the rain to fall inside the watershed for these lakes is difficult at best.
Here is a map showing where the rain needs to fall.
The jagged yellow outline (or oblong circle) shows the area where rain falls which will then flow into Lake Arrowhead.
The jagged red outline shows the area where rain falls which will flow into Lake Kickapoo.
And, finally, the green jagged outline shows the area where the rain falls which will flow into Lake Kemp.
These three lakes supply the city of Wichita Falls (and the surrounding communities that buy water from Wichita Falls) with water.
Some interesting facts jump out when you look at this map.
There are five main counties that need the rainfall because they cover the most watershed. These counties are: Archer, Knox, Faord, Cottle and King.
Other counties that provide some minor supple of water during rain or snow storms include Motley, Dickens, Baylor, Wilbarger and Clay.
In other words, contrary to popular belief we need heavy rain to fall in our western counties of Texoma as well as the eastern counties of the South Plains of West Texas to help us fill up our lakes.
For more information check the graphic.
And for more information directly from the city of Wichita Falls on the STAGE 3: DROUGHT EMERGENCY click on this sentence.
KFDX Meteorologist Bryan Rupp.
The Watershed is a very specific geographic area in and outside of Texoma where the rain must fall to properly flow into the Wichita Falls water supply.
Our water supply comes from three lakes in Texoma: Lake Arrowhead, Lake Kemp and Lake Kickapoo. And getting the rain to fall inside the watershed for these lakes is difficult at best.
Here is a map showing where the rain needs to fall.
The jagged yellow outline (or oblong circle) shows the area where rain falls which will then flow into Lake Arrowhead.
The jagged red outline shows the area where rain falls which will flow into Lake Kickapoo.
And, finally, the green jagged outline shows the area where the rain falls which will flow into Lake Kemp.
These three lakes supply the city of Wichita Falls (and the surrounding communities that buy water from Wichita Falls) with water.
Some interesting facts jump out when you look at this map.
There are five main counties that need the rainfall because they cover the most watershed. These counties are: Archer, Knox, Faord, Cottle and King.
Other counties that provide some minor supple of water during rain or snow storms include Motley, Dickens, Baylor, Wilbarger and Clay.
In other words, contrary to popular belief we need heavy rain to fall in our western counties of Texoma as well as the eastern counties of the South Plains of West Texas to help us fill up our lakes.
For more information check the graphic.
And for more information directly from the city of Wichita Falls on the STAGE 3: DROUGHT EMERGENCY click on this sentence.
KFDX Meteorologist Bryan Rupp.
