Boat Docks, Dredging & Lifts on
Lake Palestine

The Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority (UNRMWA) manages permitting for every dock, bulkhead, dredge, and shoreline alteration on Lake Palestine. We run the shoreline-alteration packet as part of the job on all four counties the lake touches — Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, and Smith.

Lake Palestine's level moves, so we size pilings and deck height for the lake's full range — not just today's pool — so the dock still works in a dry year. On the long, silt-prone Anderson and Cherokee coves, the shallow bottom often pushes owners toward articulating components over a purely fixed frame.

The upper coves collect fine sediment from the Neches River drainage, and many lots run a 10–15 year dredge cycle to keep usable depth at the slip. We sonar-map the cove first to target the sediment plume, and often pair the dredge with a bulkhead so the bank doesn't wash fresh silt straight back in. Cove dredging typically runs about $17.5k–$40k depending on volume and access.

The Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority reviews every dock, bulkhead, dredge, and shoreline alteration on Lake Palestine, so we build that shoreline-alteration packet into the schedule from the start. Because the lake touches four counties — Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, and Smith — we confirm which county's frontage your lot sits on before submitting. Running the packet up front keeps fabrication from waiting on the authority.

It depends on your cove. On the long, silt-prone Anderson and Cherokee coves, the shallow bottom often pushes owners toward articulating components over a purely fixed frame, while deeper lots can run fixed. We size pilings and deck height for the lake's full range, not just today's pool, and match the frame to your lot's drawdown exposure.

A standard fixed dock on Lake Palestine typically runs about $22k–$52k before a lift, depending on size and decking. The lake's drawdown means we size pilings and deck height for the full water range, and on the long silt-prone coves articulating components can add to the build. The estimator gives a range tied to your specific cove and county frontage.

The upper coves collect fine sediment from the Neches River drainage, so we often pair the dredge with a bulkhead — otherwise the unstabilized bank washes fresh silt straight back into the cleared cove. The bulkhead holds the bank so the dredge lasts, and we run both through the UNRMWA shoreline-alteration packet together. A bulkhead typically runs about $12k–$36k depending on length and tie-backs.

Many lots on the silt-prone upper coves run a 10–15 year dredge cycle, because the Anderson and Cherokee sides collect fine sediment from the Neches River drainage. We sonar-map the cove first to target the sediment plume rather than moving clean water. Cove dredging typically runs about $17.5k–$40k depending on volume and access.

Yes — because the lake's level moves, we set the lift for the full water range so the boat still floats off in a dry year, not just at today's pool. On the long, silt-prone Anderson and Cherokee coves the shallow bottom is part of why articulating components often beat a fixed lift platform. We size the whole system to the lake's range.

Yes. Lake Palestine spans Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, and Smith counties, and we run the UNRMWA shoreline-alteration packet as part of the job on all four. The cove behavior differs by side — the upper Anderson and Cherokee coves silt in faster — so we scope each lot to its own frontage.

Yes. Alongside docks, bulkheads, and dredging we build residential retaining walls — typically about $2.7k–$7.2k depending on length, height, and material — and outdoor kitchens from roughly $9.6k up past $21k depending on the package. Where a wall meets the shoreline we coordinate it with the UNRMWA-permitted bulkhead line and bundle scopes onto one mobilization.

On the upper coves that collect Neches River sediment, we sonar-map the cove first, dredge to target the plume, and often pair it with a bulkhead so the bank doesn't wash fresh silt back in. We then size pilings and deck height for the lake's full drawdown range so the slip stays usable in a dry year. Cove dredging runs about $17.5k–$40k depending on volume and access.

Texas Parks and Wildlife counts five public boat launches on Lake Palestine. They include the Kickapoo and Flat Creek ramps on FM 315 south of Chandler, Saline Bay off Texas 155 at Dogwood City, and the Deep End ramp off FM 1892 at the west end of the dam. More than a dozen private marinas, motels and campgrounds also have ramps.

The Texas Water Development Board's 2012 survey measured 23,112 surface acres at the 345-foot conservation pool. Older listings, including Texas Parks and Wildlife's, give 25,560 acres, which was the original design figure. TPWD lists a maximum depth of 58 feet.

Yes. Blackburn Crossing Dam impounds the Neches River about four miles east of Frankston. Water began filling the lake on May 1, 1962, and work to enlarge the dam ran from 1969 to 1971. The Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority owns and runs it.

Full pool is 345 feet above sea level, the crest of the uncontrolled spillway at Blackburn Crossing Dam. Texas Parks and Wildlife lists a normal fluctuation of 2.2 feet.

Yes. The Texas Water Development Board's 2012 survey includes a bottom contour map, and UNRMWA posts a downloadable lake map on its Facts & Statistics page. Neither shows the silt in a single cove. We sonar-map the cove first to target the sediment plume.