Cedar Park and Leander will soon decide whether to join the newly created Highland Lakes Firm Water Customers Cooperative.

The cooperative combines various municipalities and utility districts that have firm water contract agreements with the Lower Colorado River Authority. By collaborating, the group would ideally have a unified voice for firm water customers, particularly during ongoing drought conditions that have resulted in back-to-back LCRA board decisions to limit downstream rice farmers from Lake Travis water.

Other likely members of the cooperative include municipal partners Burnet and Pflugerville as well as the Lakeway Municipal Utility District, Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 17, and the West Travis County Public Utility Agency, according to Cedar Park city documents. Austin city officials will also be involved but participate in an advisory role, city documents state.

Similar coalitions include the Central Texas Water Coalition, which represents lake-area interests during the drought debate, and the Colorado Water Issues Committee, a rice farmer–led group based out of southeastern Texas.

Cedar Park City Council is expected to review the resolution Feb. 28. The decision comes one day before the LCRA-approved March 1 deadline in which downstream rice farmers will be cut off from any Highland Lakes water unless the lakes' combined storage exceeds 850,000 acre-feet. As of Feb. 25, the Highland Lakes were 824,540 acre-feet full—well below the minimum threshold.

If Cedar Park agrees to join the cooperative, the city would likely appoint Cedar Park Director of Community Affairs Katherine Woerner to the coalition's steering committee, which will lead the group of organized firm customers but not speak on any individual entity's behalf. A $4,000 annual membership fee is required for each steering committee member. Any additional expenses from the cooperative will require individual council consideration.

Leander City Council is expected to vote on the matter March 7, Public Works Director Pat Womack confirmed.

The agreement would last through Sept. 30 and automatically be renewed each year.