The first of 15 public meetings about Austin’s proposed once-per-week watering law occurs Jan. 9, with additional sessions scheduled through Jan. 24.

Conversation Corps, a public outreach effort that allows residents to voice opinions on various city initiatives, is seeking input on an Austin Water Utility proposal to permanently enact Stage 2 watering restrictions that have been temporarily in place—nearly continuously, according to the city—since September 2011.

Stage 2 restrictions allow residents to only spray irrigate their lawn once per week, down from twice-per-week watering typically allowed during Stage 1 limits.

But as of Jan. 8, the Highland Lakes are a combined 88 percent full, up from 34 percent full the same time last year. Lake Travis, in particular, is only 4 feet mean sea level away from being considered full, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority, the agency that manages the Highland Lakes.

Increased water storage levels in 2016 will likely result in Highland Lakes water being sent downstream to rice-farming operations. No water has been released for agriculture use the past four years, but the higher lake levels satisfy terms of a recently approved water management plan—the document that dictates how LCRA distributes water. The new plan provides more protections than the prior guidelines approved in 2010, according to LCRA officials.

Efforts to permanently limit watering to once per week come as Austin's water usage has reportedly declined in spite of significant recent growth.

A June memo from City Manager Marc Ott said the city’s Drought Contingency Plan criteria technically allowed the city to return to Stage 1 watering restrictions. However, Austin Water suggested back then—less than a month after Memorial Day weekend flooding—that Stage 2 limits become permanent.

Any official changes to city policy must go through Austin’s board and commissions and require final approval from City Council. No timeline has been provided for when such a proposal might reach the council dais.

Meetings for Conversation Corps, which is a joint effort from the city of Austin, Capital Metro and Austin ISD in conjunction with Leadership Austin, typically take place each month at various public settings throughout the city. Each meeting typically lasts an hour, and times, dates and locations are subject to change.

For more information, visit www.atxtalks.org.