On Jan. 30, Mitch Fuller, Cedar Park mayor pro tem, was named chairman of the Lower Colorado River Authority's Central Basin Regional Council.

Fuller, a Cedar Park councilman since 2007, immediately begins the one-year term. The 30-member board often serves as the bridge between LCRA leadership and Central Texas communities in Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. There are three other LCRA regional boards throughout the state.

As chairman, Fuller will continue addressing the same water conservation and supply issues he has long championed. His focus will rest primarily on the public safety, health and economic development opportunities of the central basin.

"It's more than that, though. It's also about electricity, Fuller said. "That's LCRA's primary business function. Probably 3 percent of what they do is in water."

Beginning his third year of involvement with LCRA, Fuller said he has learned a lot about the region's electrical needs, which he considered overlooked in favor of water needs during this rapid period of growth.

During the Jan. 8 LCRA board of directors meeting, Fuller spoke in support of a motion to cut off downstream rice farmers from Highland Lakes water. He also spoke on behalf of the 70,000–80,000 Cedar Park–area customers who rely on Lake Travis water.

"The Cedar Park population was 5,000 in 1990 ... and access to Lake Travis water has been critical to our growth," Fuller told the council before endorsing an emergency drought order that stops Highland Lakes water from flowing downstream unless the lakes reach at least 850,000 acre-feet in combined storage by March 1. Combined lake storage is 831,556 as of Feb. 6.

Aside from his work with LCRA the past three years, Fuller also serves as vice president of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, the council in charge of handling the three-city, $340 million water project. He previously served as BCRUA president. His involvement also includes work with H204Texas, a statewide advocacy group.

"All those hats and all I do ultimately intersects to ensure there's an active water supply for Cedar Park, ensure the BCRUA project continues and ensure electricity," he said.