Central Texas Dam Spillway Collapses, Empties Lake of Drinking Water

It's not clear what caused the spillgate to collapse, water authorities say

Authorities are asking people in a Central Texas city to conserve water after a spillway crumbled, emptying a lake of much of its water.

Dramatic video posted on Facebook showed the spillway at Lake Dunlap collapse Tuesday, sending a wall of water cascading through the open middle gate and to the Guadalupe River below.

Lake Dunlap is located just south of New Braunfels and provides water for the city of Kyle, about 30 miles to the north, KXAN reported.

The report said city officials are asking residents to avoid watering their lawns, filling up pools or washing their cars — "anything that's not really necessary," James Earp, the Assistant City Manager for the city of Kyle, told KXAN. The report noted the city of about 40,000 gets most of its water from the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs.

There is no word yet on what caused the spillway to collapse, according to a Facebook post by the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority.

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