LCRA files proposed Water Management Plan with TCEQ

"The water of the Highland Lakes is vital to people throughout the basin and there has been tremendous interest in this plan," LCRA General Manager Becky Motal said in a news release. "The plan LCRA has submitted to the state tries to balance the interests throughout the basin and protect customers during severe droughts, like the one we are still experiencing."

The Water Management Plan determines how water is allocated from lakes Buchanan and Travis, the region's water supply reservoirs. They provide water for more than 1 million people in Central Texas, as well as industries throughout the Colorado River basin, the environment and agricultural interests in Matagorda, Wharton and Colorado counties.

Now that LCRA has submitted the plan, TCEQ has up to a year from the time it determines LCRA's application is administratively complete to perform its technical review. LCRA has posted the proposed plan, the written public comments and the exhibits filed with the TCEQ on LCRA.org.

The plan submitted to TCEQ contains the following changes from the current plan:

Using two trigger points during the year to determine how much stored water from the lakes is available for agriculture, mostly downstream rice farming. Jan. 1 would be used for the main rice crop and June 1 would be used for the ratoon crop season. The current plan contains only a Jan. 1 trigger point.

Eliminating "open supply," which is the practice of making unlimited water from lakes Buchanan and Travis available for downstream agriculture when the lakes are above a defined trigger point. In the future, the amount of stored water available from the lakes for downstream agricultural operations would have an upper limit at all times.

Asking firm water customers, mostly cities and industry, to reduce water use consistent with their drought plans only after interruptible water from the lakes for agriculture is restricted. Current practice can result in LCRA requesting firm customers implement voluntary conservation before agricultural water is restricted.

Using two different projected future demand levels in the new plan to set triggers based on the amount of water used by cities and industry. The current plan is based on a single demand projection looking 10 years in the future. This new approach responds to actual growth in water use and could make more water available for agriculture until it is needed by cities and industry.

Incorporating new scientific studies that better reflect the conditions of the river and bay environment.

LCRA has used a state-approved Water Management Plan to manage lakes Buchanan and Travis since 1989, which was updated in 1992, 1999 and 2010.

Until the new plan is adopted or the drought ceases, the LCRA is operating the lakes under emergency drought relief measures approved by the TCEQ in December.