Towns nearby
- Somerville
- Lyons
- Caldwell
- Brenham
- Bryan and College Station, about 30 miles away
Lakes We Serve · Brazos Valley, TX
Marine construction on Lake Somerville.
Eighty-five miles of shoreline, and the federal government owns all of it. Somerville is a park lake rather than a residential one — which changes what gets built here, and who it gets built for.
Know the Water
A broad, shallow flood-control reservoir on Yegua Creek.
Built to hold an enormous amount of water above its normal level — which is exactly why the ground around it stayed public.
Somerville Lake impounds Yegua Creek 20 river miles upstream of its confluence with the Brazos River, across Burleson and Washington counties with the upper reaches reaching into Lee. Construction began on June 4, 1962; deliberate impoundment began on January 3, 1967 and the dam was completed on October 27, 1967, with dedication the following May. The earthfill embankment runs 20,210 feet — 26,175 feet including the dike and spillway — stands about 80 feet high, and holds back a drainage area of 1,006 square miles.
Conservation pool is 238.0 feet above mean sea level with 160,100 acre-feet of conservation storage. The spillway crest and flood pool sit at 258.0 feet, and total flood storage capacity is 1,042,000 acre-feet — roughly six and a half times the conservation volume. That is the whole design intent: this lake exists to absorb a great deal of water above normal, and the Corps holds title and easements accordingly. TPWD characterizes fluctuation as low to moderate, 1 to 6 feet.
Surface area is given as 11,460 acres by the Corps, 11,456 by TPWD and 11,160 by the Texas Water Development Board's 2012 volumetric survey. Shoreline is 85 miles, per the Corps. Maximum depth is about 38 feet, which makes Somerville a notably shallow reservoir — slightly stained water with American lotus and hydrilla present, sitting in the Post Oak Savannah between Brenham and Caldwell.
Around the Lake
Four Corps parks, two state park units, a city park and two marinas.
Eleven boat ramps in total. That inventory is the tell: the shore here belongs to the public, not to subdivisions.
Parks, ramps and marinas
- Rocky Creek Park and Yegua Creek Park — developed Corps parks
- Pecan Lake Park and McCain Park — undeveloped Corps parks
- Welch Park, owned by the City of Somerville
- Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway — Birch Creek and Nails Creek units, on the western shorelines
- Big Creek Park and Marina
- Overlook Park and Lake Somerville Marina
One honest gap worth stating: no authoritative description of the bottom composition or bank material at Somerville has been published by the Corps or in a TWDB sedimentation survey. Anyone quoting you a pile length off a soil assumption here is guessing. Bearing gets confirmed on site.
Federal Shoreline
What an adjacent landowner may and may not do.
Somerville works nothing like a river-authority or private-district lake. The permissions are short, specific and permit-based.
1
On government-owned land: a list of prohibitions
Adjacent owners may not put public land to private exclusive or commercial use, may not place unattended personal property on it, may not construct buildings, roads, bridges or improved pathways, may not restrict public access with signs or barriers, and may not operate vehicles off paved roadways, camp, burn or gather firewood.
2
What is permitted, and how
Pedestrian access to unrestricted areas. Maintaining a foot trail to the shoreline, with the Natural Resource Manager's approval. Applying for a permit to mow or clear underbrush for fire hazard reduction. Constructing a fence to or along the government boundary line. That is the extent of it.
3
Flowage easement land, referenced to 263.00
On private land subject to the government's perpetual flooding easement, an owner may mow, clear and plant vegetation, may sell or lease the land, and may fence to the boundary. No structure for human habitation may be built, permanent or temporary — and no structure of any kind without prior approval of the District Engineer. Septic systems may not sit within 75 feet of the 263.00 contour.
4
Where the applications go
Permit applications require design plans, site maps and other agencies' approvals, and go to the Lake Manager at the Somerville Project Office, 1560 Thornberry Dr., Somerville, TX 77879, (979) 596-1622 — Fort Worth District.
238.0′
Conservation pool, ft msl
258.0′
Spillway crest and flood pool
263.00′
Flowage easement contour
85
Miles of shoreline, USACE
Scope of Work
What Shoretech can honestly do at Lake Somerville.
Private residential docks are not the market here. Public, commercial and above-the-line work is.
Marina Structures
Slips, walkways, access structures and repairs for the lake's marina operators — commercial work under the applicable Corps authorization.
Public Facilities & Boat Ramps
Ramp construction and rehabilitation, park facility structures and bank protection across the eleven boat ramps and the parks that ring this lake.
Retaining Walls & Erosion Control
Retaining walls and slope stabilization on private ground above the government boundary — steel, vinyl, FRP composite or heavy timber.
Timber Bridges & Access
Crossings and heavy timber access structures on private ground, built to carry real load in a landscape of creek arms and low ground.
Questions We Hear
Lake Somerville FAQ.
Can I build a private boat dock on Lake Somerville?
Not on the government-owned shoreline. Adjacent landowners may not put public land to private exclusive or commercial use, may not leave unattended personal property on it, may not construct buildings, roads, bridges or improved pathways, and may not restrict public access with signs or barriers. Whether any grandfathered mooring facility exists under a Fort Worth District shoreline use permit is not something this page will claim either way — ask the Lake Manager at (979) 596-1622.
What am I allowed to do on the Corps land behind my property?
Pedestrian access to unrestricted areas; maintaining a foot trail to the shoreline with the Natural Resource Manager's approval; applying for a permit to mow or clear underbrush for fire hazard reduction; and constructing a fence to or along the government boundary line. Camping, burning, gathering firewood and driving off paved roadways are not allowed.
I own flowage easement land. What can I do with it?
The Corps' adjacent-landowner guidance references the 263.00 ft contour. You may mow, clear and plant vegetation freely, sell or lease the land, and fence to the boundary. You may not construct any structure for human habitation, permanent or temporary, and may not build any structure at all without prior approval of the District Engineer. Septic systems may not be placed within 75 feet of the 263.00 contour.
So what marine construction actually happens here?
Commercial and public work — marina structures, boat ramps, park facilities and bank protection — plus retaining wall and erosion control work on private ground above the government boundary, and approved structures on flowage easement land. Applications require design plans, site maps and other agencies' approvals, and go to the Lake Manager at the Somerville Project Office. For the wider picture, see Can I build on my lake?
Nearby Water
More lakes in this region.
Start With a Conversation
Working on something at Lake Somerville?
Marina, ramp, park facility, bank protection, or a retaining wall above the government line — tell Dave what you are dealing with and where the boundary falls. Shoretech is based in Trinity, and Dave travels as far as a project warrants.