LCRA braces for worsening drought with water plan changes

After an 18-month process, the Lower Colorado River Authority board approved 10–5 a Water Management Plan and Drought Contingency Plan on Feb. 22.

The purpose of the plan is to govern how LCRA operates Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan concerning water allocation.

The plan, submitted by a 16-member advisory committee, had several red-line changes after public comments and meetings with organizations that had contracts with LCRA.

Several people spoke in favor of approving a plan but said they believed the original plan provided by the advisory committee should be approved rather than the version with the red-line changes.

"We are in a crisis with our water," said Karen Huber, Travis County Precinct 3 commissioner, at the LCRA board meeting. "When LCRA was initially formed, we didn't have the population in the basin we have now. We did not have the economic dynamics we have now. I am representing my precinct that completely surrounds Lake Travis. We need action. We need to implement this plan today as the stakeholders presented it to you. We need to implement this plan and move to the next steps."

A Spicewood business owner spoke on how the lake levels personally affected his home and his business.

Hill Country Trams owner Buster Cole said his lakefront property had lost 40 percent of its value because of lake levels. He also said he had to lay off 29 employees due to the drought.

"Devastation on the Highland Lakes is here now," Cole said.

The red-line changes to the plan were:

  • 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 first rice crop, and June 1 would be used for the second crop. The current plan contains only a Jan. 1 trigger point.
  • Eliminating "open supply," or making unlimited water from the Highland Lakes 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 be limited 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 Highland 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 agricultural needs until it is needed by cities and industry.
  • Incorporating new scientific studies that better reflect the needs of the river and bay environment.

Now that the plan is approved, the LCRA will send the plan to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which has final approval of the plan.

For more information, visit www.lcra.org/watermanagementplan.