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LCRA gives grant to Kingsland ahead of lowering lake LBJ levels
Since the 2018 flooding in Kingsland, there have been many improvements to their community park, but the work is not over yet.
KINGSLAND, Texas - The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) gave the Kingsland chamber a $25,000 grant to go towards fixing their community park that got swept entirely away during devastating flooding more than a year ago.
“The docks were made of concrete and pipes and it washed them out, gone. It took the sea wall out, gone,” said Richard Pylant, a Kingsland resident as he recalls the devastation 2018 flooding.
Pylant lives right next to the park and was there when it got washed away. From the nearby bridge collapsing to everything getting covered in debris, he said it's hard to forget that kind of destruction.
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“You saw big trees, you saw boats, you saw jet skis, all sorts of boat docks just going by,” said Pylant.
Since that destructive event, Pylant said the community has been rebuilding ever since especially when it comes to the park.
“They made fast repairs to it I thought might take years to be completed because it is basically self-funded through donations,” said Pylant.
This park isn't funded through taxes; its upkeep is on the local chamber. While it may seem like just a regular park, it's the only public place to launch and take out boats on Lake LBJ for miles.
RELATED: Kingsland rebuilds after historic floods in 2018
“There's not even private ramps. There use to be some but they've all been torn down and made into condominiums,” said Pylant.
Since the flooding, there have been many improvements to the park, but the work is not over yet.
“As they get the money they do some work and stop until they get more money,” said Pylant.
RELATED: Piles of debris being fished out of Lake LBJ in Kingsland
Most of this grant will go towards building new bathrooms. According to Pylant, it's also one of the last things needed to finally return the park to what it was before.
“You'd be surprised at the number of people that don't have boats that go down there and swim off the docks or picnic down there they have a nice pavilion you can use or rent and a nice community center that's available,” said Pylant.
On top of the grant, the LCRA also plans to lower the water levels of Lake LBJ on January 2nd. This will allow people still dealing with the 2018 flood to fix docks and clear debris. They plan to raise the water back at the end of February.