I remember talking to TCEQ before building our big pond. The 200 acre-feet limit was not crossed by our pond, so no issue. The 48 inches of rain measuring stick came from the Hurricane that dumped 36 inches in 12 hours way back in history. It was the event they are protecting to 150% in half the time as I recall. In my opinion, it is a very high bar indeed.

All this said, I am glad dams are being inspected. The damage water can do is incredible. The stored energy is impressive. But with the number of dams in Texas alone, they have a lot of work to do. Now, with all this said, springing a $120K bill on someone is a bit daunting, having a pathway to improvements over time seems more reasonable to me.