Media contacts: Emlea Chanslor, (512) 473-3342, or Krista Umscheid, 473-3365

LAKE LBJ — LCRA reminds lakeside residents to prepare for the refill of Lake LBJ that will begin Feb. 25. LCRA officials expect it to take about four to five days to refill Lake LBJ, unless an emergency requires LCRA to refill the lake earlier.

LCRA lowered Lake LBJ by about five feet for eight weeks to allow lakeside residents to dredge, clean up debris or repair retaining walls. Residents were required to register to do work that was covered by a free, lakewide permit before proceeding with repairs. More than 1,000 people registered to perform work during the drawdown – about double the number from the last drawdown in 2005. 

Maintenance work covered by the lakewide permit included dredging up to 2,000 cubic yards of material from below the 825 feet above mean sea level (msl) contour of Lake LBJ; repairing existing structures such as retaining walls, boat slips and boat launches; and cleaning up debris. All debris must be removed from the lakebed and relocated above the 825-feet msl contour for disposal. State regulations do not allow material to be burned in the lakebed.

While the refill is scheduled to begin Feb. 25, residents always should be prepared to remove materials and equipment on short notice if the lake needs to be refilled in an emergency, such as a flood. LCRA officials emphasize that the lake may have to be refilled quickly in a flood or if hydroelectric generating units need to be operated on the upper Highland Lakes in a weather emergency.

To monitor the progress of the lake refilling and other river operations, check the Daily River Report.