Lake Granbury is a critical water supply in North Central Texas, providing water for over 250,000 people in more than 15 cities. It provides water for industrial use, including cooling water for a natural gas-fired steam electric power plant and the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant. It is also a recreation haven for local water enthusiasts.
In recent years golden algae blooms have caused a number of fish kills in Lake Granbury, with substantial economic and biological losses.
In addition, recent studies by the Brazos River Authority (BRA) have detected contamination of fecal coliform bacteria in several areas of the lake, primarily in coves with poor water circulation. As a result, BRA will work with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and a consortium of local entities and federal and state agencies to implement an integrated watershed protection plan designed to reduce bacterial contamination.