It's official: LCRA cuts off downstream rice farmers for second year in a row

The Lower Colorado River Authority made good on a board decision to cut off Highland Lakes water to downstream users in 2013 if the combined storage failed to exceed 850,000 acre-feet by March 1.

Consequently, the four major downstream rice-farming operations will be limited from Lake Travis water for the second-straight year as LCRA officials respond to ongoing drought conditions. As of 11:59 p.m. March 1, the Highland Lakes had a combined storage of approximately 822,782 acre-feet, well short of the minimum threshold needed to allow water downstream.

"This drought has been tremendously difficult for the entire region, and we know that going without water for the second year in a row will be painful for the farmers and the economies they help support," LCRA General Manager Becky Motal said in a news release. "This was a difficult decision, but LCRA has to protect the water supply of its municipal and industrial customers during this prolonged drought."

The LCRA board voted unanimously in January to initiate the curtailment if drought conditions persisted. The decision was a reversal from a November ruling that allowed Highland Lakes water to flow downstream if storage exceeded 775,000 acre-feet on Jan. 1 or March 1.

The lakes have been depleted because of the lowest-ever inflow of new water in 2011—10 percent of the historical average. The amount of water that flowed into the Higland Lakes increased slightly in 2012 but was still nearly 70 percent below the historical average. The limited supply of new water meant LCRA had to re-prioritize its efforts, Motal said.

"The Highland Lakes were built to capture and manage water in times of heavy rains so there is water for cities and industry during severe drought," Motal said. "The lakes are doing their job, but this prolonged drought means that we've had to make some hard choices."

Ron Gertson, a rice farmer and chairman of the Colorado Water Issues Committee, which represents the rice farmers, said in a statement that about 55,000 acres of rice production will be lost in 2013. He expressed his concern the loss may have on the counties where rice farming is prevalent—Wharton, Matagorda and Colorado counties.

"We fear real economic and social suffering in our communities that have relied on rice farming for generations," Gertson said. "The water cutoff will have a ripple effect."