Residents living along lakes LBJ and Austin will start off 2008 with temporarily lower water levels. And for many residents, the drops in elevation will be welcome.

LCRA is lowering Lake LBJ by up to 5 feet for an eight-week period beginning Jan. 2 to allow lakeside residents to clear debris from lakefront properties resulting from the past summer’s flood. During the drawdown, residents also will be able to repair and maintain docks, retaining walls and other shoreline property. LCRA officials expect it to take about three days to draw down the lake and three or four days to refill.

Normally, LCRA would not have lowered Lake LBJ until sometime in 2009, in accordance with an LCRA policy that limits such lowerings to once every four years. But LCRA’s Board of Directors agreed to an earlier lowering to accommodate lakeside residents who wanted to clear their property of flood debris.

Lake LBJ landowners can perform debris cleanup, wall repair and maintenance dredging up to 2,000 yards under a lakewide permit to be issued by LCRA. But residents will need to register with LCRA, starting Dec. 1, to make sure intended repairs and maintenance are covered under the permit. Projects not covered by the permit will fall under LCRA’s Dredge and Fill Standards. For more information, call LCRA at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 2324.

Lake Austin lowering also to begin Jan. 2

Also beginning Jan. 2, LCRA will lower Lake Austin by up to 12 feet for a six-week period, at the request of the City of Austin, to help control the growth of fast-growing hydrilla and other nuisance aquatic plants in the lake.

As of mid-October, LCRA had not finalized plans on how quickly it would draw down Lake Austin. In recent years, LCRA has gradually lowered the lake over a period of two to three weeks as a water conservation measure, releasing only the amount of water from Lake Austin that is needed downstream each day.

Typically, LCRA can lower the lake more quickly if an equivalent amount to refill Lake Austin is in the Lake Travis flood pool upstream. As of mid-October, Travis was below its flood pool. But if the region receives heavy rains in November and December that could change.

LCRA officials emphasize that Lake LBJ and Lake Austin can be refilled quickly in a flood or if LCRA needs hydroelectric generating capacity in an emergency. For updates on the lake lowerings, check LCRA’s Web site.

Residents are now eager to clean up their property after the past summer's flood.