L a k e pa l e s t i n e
Vol. 23, No. 1
JANUARY 2012
When will the water return? Water Authority says lake is rising, unsure when it will reach normal level BY CHAD WILSON
news@c-bstatesman.com
WANDA NICHOLS PHOTO
While recent rains have helped Lake Palestine’s water level, authorities cannot predict what the future will bring. Pictured, the lake’s water level has fallen well below the old FM-315 bridge that runs parallel with the current bridge, south of Chandler. Normal levels cover the old bridge.
Traditional lake-related activities have become increasingly difficult on Lake Palestine as the summer drought has carried over into the winter. While the recent rains have helped, the diagnosis for 2012 is not very bright. “We’ve had a rise in the lake level of approximately six inches over the last three weeks or so,” Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority General Manager Monty Shank said. “Unfortunately, we cannot predict what the future will bring. During the last few weeks, we’ve seen some return to ‘normalcy’ with some good rains. However, some meteorologists are predicting the drought conditions to persist through 2012.”
See WATER • 2
Fallow the leader
Bring out the feed bucket and the usually skittish Fallow deer will follow you anywhere as Billy Van Voast experiences during feeding time.
WANDA NICHOLS PHOTO
Van Voast enjoys the novelty of raising unique deer species
O
n a recent chilly fast and can cripple them.” winter morning Extra protein also increases while the dry earth the antler growth. Van Voast said he leaves that to ranchers lapped up sprinkling rain who may want to purchase drops, a scene at the ranch of Billy Van Voast and his wife the deer for game hunting of 37 years, Nancy, unfolded purposes. much like that from the movie Van Voast said he and Nancy Bambi. enjoy sitting on the front porch of their home perched on a hill Peering out from under the protective overlooking BY Wanda Nichols covering of trees their property advertising@c-bstatesman.com to watch the and brush were the graceful, beautiful, delicate, exotic creatures of his curious creatures. herd of Fallow deer. “That’s why I bought them, Although seemingly tame, just to watch them,” he said. “When the weather is right, a quick movement by humans they come right up, sometimes can send them scampering deeper into the woods. But in the mornings, and then they when Van Voast brings out a come back in the evenings.” Van Voast said he raises feed bucket of corn mixture, they lose their inhibitions and Fallow deer for the novelty and because they are more make their way to the feed trough. compatible to the white-tailed “I don’t feed them a lot of deer that roam his land. “They interact well with the protein,” he said. “If you give them too much protein it See FALLOW• 4 makes their hooves grow too
“When the weather is right they come right up, sometimes in the mornings, and then they come back in the evenings.” - Billy Van Voast
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WANDA NICHOLS PHOTO
Van Voast pours a corn mixture into one of the feed troughs for his white Fallow buck, Chet, named after one of Santa’s clumsy reindeer in The Santa Clause 2 movie.
1/27/2012 3:30:02 PM