The details
All LCRA customers—which include customers in the cities of Austin, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Leander, Pflugerville, Lago Vista, Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls, West Travis County Public Utility Agency and others—will be limited to outdoor watering once a week.
The goal of these measures is to cut water demand by 20%.
“These actions are needed to help preserve and extend our water supplies in the face of a drought that shows little signs of easing over spring and summer,” John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of water, said in a statement. “Our water supply reservoirs—Lakes Buchanan and Travis—remain stressed and are now sitting at about 51% of capacity.”
The maximum once-per-week watering restriction affects cities, businesses, industries and lakeside property owners that draw water directly from the Highland Lakes.
The why
The LCRA, which oversees access to the lower Colorado River water supply, determined that preservation efforts were necessary after early-month reports showed a decline in water levels.
The combined storage of Lakes Buchanan and Travis—the primary reservoirs in the Highland Lakes system—fell below 1.1 million acre-feet, or 55% of capacity, the standard benchmark for water management. At the time of reporting, the lakes held approximately 1.016 million acre-feet, equating to about 51% of capacity.
Additionally, the amount of water flowing into the reservoirs over the past three months was unusually low, ranking in the bottom 25% compared to the same period in past years, according to a news release from the agency.
“We can’t control the weather, evaporation or when it rains,” Hofmann said. “What we can control is our discretionary water use, such as the amount of water we put on our yards and landscapes. In terms of really having an impact on things, reducing the amount of outdoor watering is the most meaningful action people in Central Texas can do to help extend our water supplies.”
As drought remains a standing companion of the Lone Star state, LCRA has often resorted to watering restrictions in its water management efforts. LCRA customers most recently saw water restrictions in place from August 2023 through June 2024.
Agency authorities encourage people to utilize low-water landscaping that can thrive on no more than once-a-week watering.
LCRA recommends residents follow these water-saving tips:
- Use water-efficient landscaping and drought-tolerant plants
- Cover swimming pools when not in use to limit evaporation
- Add mulch to landscapes and compost to turf to help prevent water loss
One more thing
LCRA has also determined that no water from the Highland Lake system will be made available to downstream LCRA agricultural customers for 2025. Water has not been available for these customers since 2022.
The decision is based on its Water Management Plan, which requires the cutoff based on the intensity and duration of existing drought conditions and the current water levels in Lakes Buchanan and Travis.
The next time water from lakes Buchanan and Travis could be available to these agricultural customers will be after March 1, 2026.
