Board votes to delay decision to allow stakeholder input
A long-term plan for keeping the Austin area's primary water supply intact was introduced Aug. 15, but its approval remains uncertain.
Lower Colorado River Authority unveiled a new water management plan (details begin on Page 40) that places stricter standards for releasing Highland Lakes water to downstream rice farmers.
LCRA board members on Aug. 20 agreed unanimously to delay final approval of the revised management plan to allow stakeholders on both sides of the Colorado River more time to review the proposal.
"The time the public has had a chance to look at this thing has been short," LCRA board Chairman Tim Timmerman said. "I think this will be a positive thing and maybe there's some tweaks [to the water management plan] that could be done."
The proposed plan is based on staff recommendations and criteria set forth by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state agency responsible for granting final approval. The plan places higher trigger points before LCRA can divert water from lakes Travis and Buchanan to interruptible customers, mostly downstream agricultural users.
Had the proposed plan been in place the past 74 years, historic data suggests interruptible users would have received water about 80 percent of the time, said John Hofmann, LCRA vice president of water. Also, he said the likelihood of the Highland Lakes dropping to historic lows—below 600,000 acre-feet in combined storage—decreases from 8 percent to 4 percent under the new proposed plan.
LCRA firm water users, mostly municipalities, on Aug. 19 and 20 urged board approval of the more stringent plan rather than rely on annual emergency orders, which, for the past three years, have been needed to keep lake levels from reaching historic lows.
"This plan should put an end to rule by emergency orders," said Ross Crow, a city of Austin attorney representing Austin Water Utility, LCRA's largest water user. "These emergency orders have been essential, no question, but the process has been extremely disruptive and has created uncertainty."
The Highland Lakes Firm Water Customers Cooperative, which represents Cedar Park, Leander, Lakeway Municipal Utility District, Burnet, Pflugerville, Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 17 and the West Travis County Public Utility Agency, had multiple members also address the board. Earl Foster, Lakeway MUD general manager and HLFWCC chairman, told the board the cooperative's members use 22 percent of all the water contracted by LCRA.
"We look forward to the day when we can agree the water management plan meets its goals as articulated," Foster said.
Central Texas Water Coalition, a Highland Lakes citizen interest group, also endorsed the proposed LCRA management plan.
While downstream agriculture interests did not refute any details within the plan, they did successfully ask for more time to review details of the proposal.
"I think it's a very dangerous precedent you're setting to rubber stamp this plan without giving stakeholders a chance to at least review it," said Laurance Armour, general manager of Pierce Ranch, a 4,000-acre rice-farming operation. "I fear that, by doing this, LCRA is abdicating responsibility for the basin. There's also a perceived lack of authority that TCEQ is basically leading the LCRA around by the nose."
Board members directed LCRA staff to hold meetings with stakeholders on both sides of the Colorado River basin to further dissect the plan proposal. Staff will return with any changes to the plan—or possibly an unchanged water plan—at the September 17 LCRA board meeting.
If approved at that time, LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said his staff will submit the plan to TCEQ within three to four weeks.
TIMELINE
January 2010: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approves the current water management plan
2010–11: Lower Colorado River Authority works with a group of stakeholders to develop proposed revisions to the water management plan
Early 2012: LCRA board members approve revisions to the plan. LCRA staff submits proposed new water management plan to TCEQ in the spring.
March 2012: The first of three emergency orders is approved allowing LCRA to depart from the 2010 water management plan and cut off interruptible customers—mostly downstream rice farmers—from Highland Lakes water.
June 2013: TCEQ staff announces it will re-evaluate LCRA's revised water management plan in light of ongoing drought conditions
May 2014: TCEQ staff rejects LCRA's proposed water management plan revisions and provides additional information to include in any future plan
August 2014: LCRA staff proposes new water management plan framework based on TCEQ recommendations. LCRA board members delay any approval to allow Colorado River basin stakeholders one month to review the proposal.
