BELL COUNTY, Texas — The flooding that happened in early May moved a lot around Central Texas, to the point where a lot of debris has been carried into Stillhouse Hollow Lake.
Central Texans, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who are in charge of the lake, are working to assess the impact, and that includes looking for cattle that were carried miles away from their home and large debris fields.
"It's probably, I guess, would be six acres, seven acres worth of debris," said Stillhouse Hollow Lake Manager John Thibodeaux. "Really the only sort of impacts we saw was there is two main coves on the south side of the lake in which that debris got swept into."
Thibodeaux said the larger debris fields are kind of close to Dana Peak Park. The debris fields include a lot of natural debris, like tree branches, some trunks and even hay bales. He explained to 6 News that they will leave that kind of debris unless it's blocking access to a park, a boat ramp or something vital to the function of the lake.
However, there are some items Thibodeaux and the rest of his team have already pulled from the water and shoreline that aren't natural.
"We picked up a few tires, we picked up a few big totes, some storage barrels and stuff like that," Thibodeaux said. "Anything man-made that we find, trash like that, we will try and get it out if we can."
Included amongst the debris are cattle that have been carried possibly miles.
"Unfortunately we did find a few deceased cows in those large debris fields today," Thibodeaux added. "There wasn't much we could do. We can't get to the cows."
There have been some cattle found alive after some Central Texans have been out searching water and shorelines. Thibodeaux said they are working with a couple of the locals by giving them access to certain areas of the lake where living cattle have been found. They are all working to get the livestock to safety, which hasn't been easy given the conditions of the lake and also the terrain.
"We have a large area of land here and water, and so anytime we can all work together, come together to help solve these problems... it's a big thing," Thibodeaux said. "We appreciate any time anybody can help."
As more people head to the water, Thibodeaux said the added debris in and around the lake calls for extra caution.
"Take your time, slow down," Thibodeaux said. "What can be what looks like a little stick above the water can be a giant tree below the surface."
If you see anything concerning on the lake, you can call the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' office at (254) 939-2461. They will be able to investigate any claims, but if it's an emergency -- call 911.
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