The situation
With recent rain and more in the forecast, storm runoff and flooding are possible. LCRA is closely monitoring Highland Lakes inflows, which may trigger hydroelectric generation or floodgate operations at the dams.
Floodgate operations
Current status
| Buchanan Dam / Lake Buchanan | No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected | as of 4/17/26 at 7:15 AM |
| Inks Dam / Inks Lake | Flow over the spillway is not expected (Inks Dam has no floodgates) | as of 4/17/26 at 7:15 AM |
| Wirtz Dam / Lake LBJ | No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected | as of 4/17/26 at 7:15 AM |
| Starcke Dam / Lake Marble Falls | No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected | as of 4/17/26 at 7:15 AM |
| Mansfield Dam / Lake Travis | No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected | as of 4/17/26 at 7:15 AM |
| Miller Dam / Austin | No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected | as of 4/17/26 at 7:15 AM |
| Bastrop Dam / Bastrop | No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected | as of 4/17/26 at 7:10 AM |
Current lake levels
Lakes Buchanan and Travis are water supply reservoirs designed to fluctuate. Lake Travis is “full” at 681 feet above sea level, but its flood pool holds an additional 776,000 acre-feet (31 Lake Austins’ worth) to reduce downstream flooding.
The other four Highland Lakes – Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Austin – are pass-through lakes with no flood storage capacity. They typically operate within a one-foot range but can rise well above normal levels during floods.
Data above 100% indicates flood stage.
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Buchanan Forecast
Please see the River Operations Report for current forecasts for Lake Buchanan.
Travis Forecast
Please see the River Operations Report for current forecasts for Lake Travis.
Flood-related news releases
The Highland Lakes are almost full again. Now what?
Flood resources
Free notifications that notify you when floodgate operations begin on the Highland Lakes
Current lake levels, dam and floodgate information
River levels — current and forecast conditions
System of 275+ rain/river gauges that provide near real-time data on rainfall, streamflow, river stage, temperature and humidity
More information on how LCRA handles floods in “Flash Flood Alley”
Insights from LCRA Meteorologist Bob Rose
Social media