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AUSTIN – The Lower Colorado River Authority has determined no Highland Lakes water will be available in 2023 for most LCRA agricultural customers in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties. The determination comes as the Texas Hill Country continues to experience severe drought conditions that are impacting inflows and levels in the region’s water supply reservoirs – lakes Buchanan and Travis.
LCRA’s state-approved Water Management Plan requires it to cut off Highland Lakes water to agricultural customers in the Gulf Coast, Lakeside and Pierce Ranch operations this year based on the intensity and duration of the drought and the amount of water in lakes Buchanan and Travis on March 1. The combined storage in lakes Buchanan and Travis on March 1 was 1.037 million acre-feet, or about 52% of capacity.
“The Water Management Plan takes into account drought situations like the one we’re in now,” said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of Water. “Extremely low inflows combined with evaporation and water use by LCRA customers have led to the decline in storage in lakes Buchanan and Travis. During hot, dry times like these, the plan requires the curtailment of water to interruptible customers so LCRA can continue meeting the needs of cities, businesses and industries.”
