AUSTIN - With continuing dry conditions and slowly dropping lake levels, the Lower Colorado River Authority has called on Colorado River water users to conserve water voluntarily.
LCRA has issued the call for conservation because the combined volume of lakes Travis and Buchanan – the two water supply reservoirs in the Highland Lakes chain – has dropped below a "trigger" level of 1.6 million acre-feet of water. (An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or what an average suburban family uses in about 18 months.) Scattered showers in the region this week were not expected to change the situation.
LCRA's state-approved Water Management Plan requires LCRA to ask Colorado River water users to begin voluntary conservation when the 1.6 million figure is reached for the two lakes. As of mid-December, the combined total was 1.586 million acre-feet. (For a daily view of lake levels, read River Report.) The last time LCRA made a similar request was in November 1999 when the combined volume of the lakes dropped below the trigger point.
LCRA officials stress that there is no water shortage in the Highland Lakes. However, there has been little water flowing into the lakes, and continued dry conditions are expected to prevail in the region at least through winter. November was exceptionally dry above the Highland Lakes, with only occasionally scattered rains that produced no significant runoff. Water flowing into the Highland Lakes in November totaled 18,044 acre-feet, compared to the 10-year November average of 204,396 acre-feet.
"We never know when a dry spell is going to turn into a severe drought,” said LCRA General Manager Joe Beal. “So an important part of managing our finite water supply is to make sure we use it wisely.” One of LCRA’s responsibilities is to manage the waters of the lower Colorado River, including the Highland Lakes.
Drier than normal
This year is turning out to be one of the driest years on record in this area, according to Bob Rose, LCRA meteorologist. Weather data through Dec. 12 show that this year has been the 10th driest year on record at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the 11th driest at Camp Mabry and 10th driest at San Antonio. The rainfall deficit for the region is 10 to 12 inches so far this year in the region. The drier than normal trend that has persisted most of the year is expected to continue through the winter, Rose added.
As of mid-December, Lake Travis was about 75 percent full and Lake Buchanan, 83 percent full. Some water continues to be released from Lake Travis to ensure there is enough flow in the river downstream of Austin to protect aquatic life, as required in LCRA’s Water Management Plan.
Get information on conserving water.
