Why is LCRA holding a dedication ceremony?
How do the new floodgates improve public safety?
How do the new floodgates improve employee safety?
How do the weights of the old and new gates compare?
When was Starcke Dam built?
What purpose does Starcke Dam serve?
Who is the dam named for?
What are some other basic facts about Starcke Dam?
How much water can be discharged through the Starcke Dam floodgates?
What is the dam's hydroelectric generating capacity?
What are some basic facts about Lake Marble Falls?

Why is LCRA holding a dedication ceremony?
LCRA is celebrating the completion of a two-year, $25.4 million project to replace all 10 of the Starcke Dam floodgates that were installed when the dam was built more than 50 years ago. The project represents an investment in two of the organization's top priorities: employee safety and public safety.

How do the new floodgates improve public safety?
The new gate design and automated controls improve response time and reliability. It takes about 31/2 minutes to open or close a hydraulically operated gate. One of the old "bear trap" floodgates took as long as 20 to 30 minutes.

How do the new floodgates improve employee safety?
The bear trap floodgates were manually operated. Fully harnessed crew members crawled out onto the floodgates to unpin them so the water would push them down. Now the crew operates the automated gates from within the dam.

How do the weights of the old and new gates compare?
Each of the old gates weighed 20,000 pounds more than the new ones, 80,000 pounds versus 60,000 pounds.

When was Starcke Dam built?
The dam, which forms Lake Marble Falls, was built from 1949 to 1951.

What purpose does Starcke Dam serve?
The dam was constructed primarily for hydroelectric generation. It also serves as a vital link in the chain of dams and lakes that makes up the LCRA flood management system. Although Lake Marble Falls, as part of that system, was designed to pass water from one lake to the next, not to store water, Marble Falls and other communities use it as a source of water supply.

Who is the dam named for?
Originally named Marble Falls, the dam was renamed in 1962 for Max Starcke, LCRA's second general manager. Starcke served as general manager from 1940 to 1955. Wirtz and Starcke dams were built during his tenure.

What are some other basic facts about Starcke Dam?
Starcke has the distinction of being the smallest dam in dimension in the Highland Lakes chain and the last one completed. It is 98.8 feet high, 859.5 feet long, 56.83 feet thick at the base, and 13 feet thick at the top.

How much water can be discharged through the Starcke Dam floodgates?
The 10 floodgates can discharge a total of 104,000 cubic feet of water per second. The two hydroelectric turbines can discharge a total of 8,200 cubic feet per second. With all floodgates open and both turbines operating at full capacity, the dam could discharge a total of 112,200 cubic feet of water per second.

What is the dam's hydroelectric generating capacity?
The dam has two turbines with a total generating capacity of 36.4 megawatts.

What are some basic facts about Lake Marble Falls?
The elevation of Lake Marble Falls when full is 738 feet above mean sea level (ft. msl). The lake reached its highest elevation, 756.3 ft. msl, on Sept. 11, 1952, and its lowest elevation, 715 ft. msl, on Oct. 4, 1983. Normally, LCRA maintains the lake between 736.2 and 737 ft. msl.