All fee (government owned) land surrounding Lake Georgetown is fenced. This property was purchased from previous land owners and is managed extensively by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to insure maximum public usage. Please be sure that you know where boundaries lie before purchasing adjacent land.

The government has also purchased the right to flood some adjacent land. This is land that is known as flowage easement. Please contact Georgetown Lake project office prior to purchasing land or building on adjacent property to insure that it is not located on flowage easement. For more infomation , click here.

What is an encroachment?

An encroachment is the placement, construction, or continued existence of a permanent or semi-permanent structure or other privately owned property on, under, in, or over publicly owned lands or lands held in flowage easement without prior written permission of the Corps' District Engineer or his representative. Examples of encroachments are, but not limited to, buildings of any type, roads, septic tanks, fences or any other actions that would alter public lands. When discussing encroachments, we must also consider the destruction, injury, defacement, removal or any alteration of public property including natural formations, historical and archaeological features, and vegetative resources which exist on the affected area.

Why Worry about Encroachments?

Why should an adjacent landowner worry about encroachments? Here are a few reasons for not using public land for private exclusive use:

(1) Incurring the expense to remove an item of encroachment from Government property and restore the disturbed site to original condition.

(2) Having the encroachment recorded on your property deed. Known encroachments are documented by the Corps and recorded in the county courthouse with the property deeds. Most lending institutions will not proceed with a loan if such a condition exists. Many adjacent landowners wishing to sell their home and property with a "cloud" on their deeds are usually disappointed with delays and additional cost.

(3) Being subject to a citation. In cases when a landowner will not voluntarily remove an encroachment, or refuses to take any action to resolve an encroachment, a citation may be issued. The citation could involve a monetary fine and/or appearance before a federal magistrate.

How Are Encroachments Discovered?

• Corps Boundary Surveillance
• Buyer's Mortgage Surveys
• Buyer's Certified Survey Plats
• Abstract Updates
(Through Attorney's Title Opinion)
• Flood Pool Impoundments

If You Have an Encroachment:

Should you own real property next to Lake Georgetown and have items of personal property that are encroaching upon public lands, contact the Lake Georgetown Project Office. We recommend you make an appointment to meet with a member of the ranger staff. The ranger will meet with you on site, discuss the options available, and work with you to take action necessary to resolve the encroachment. In some instances, these meetings will prevent a landowner from making a costly and time-consuming mistake.

Questions

If you have questions about the location of the U.S. Government property boundary, contact the Lake Georgetown Project Office at 512/ 930-5253. A field visit appointment with a Corps ranger can be scheduled to assist you in locating the boundary, or in answering any other questions you may have concerning encroachments and our permit program.

Written inquiries may be addressed to:

Lake Georgetown Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
500 Lake Overlook Drive
Georgetown, TX 78633