Managing the Highland Lakes Through Drought

Why do lake levels vary?
Levels in lakes Travis and Buchanan, the two water supply reservoirs in the Highland Lakes on the Colorado River, can vary significantly from year to year, or even month to month. That’s how the lakes were designed – to fluctuate as they go up while capturing water during rainy times and going down during drier times as water evaporates and is used by people, businesses and industries.

Throughout the history of the Highland Lakes, levels in lakes Travis and Buchanan are almost always rising or falling; the lakes are not constant-level lakes.

What happens if this drought continues?
If the drought continues, LCRA will enact stricter rules regarding water use, potentially even limiting how much water LCRA firm water customers (mainly cities and industries) could use every month.

LCRA will move to the next stage of its Drought Contingency Plan when the amount of water in lakes Travis and Buchanan reaches 750,000 acre-feet, or about 38% of capacity. At that point, LCRA would require its firm water customers to implement additional drought response measures, including restricted hours for outdoor watering, with a goal of reducing water use by 25%.

If combined storage reaches 600,000 acre-feet, or about 30% of capacity, LCRA will require a 20% mandatory water use reduction from its firm customers. Read more about mandatory curtailment.

Why does LCRA release water from the Highland Lakes dams during a drought?
Water is moved downstream through the dams to meet water supply needs even during a drought. Cities throughout Central Texas, including Austin, Burnet, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Leander, Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls and Pflugerville depend on water released through dams along the Highland Lakes.

As a regional water provider, LCRA provides “firm” water to wholesale customers such as cities and power plants, and to maintain environmental flows in the lower river and Matagorda Bay. LCRA also provides “interruptible water” for agriculture (primarily rice farming) in Wharton, Colorado and Matagorda counties near the Texas Gulf Coast under criteria set out in LCRA’s state-approved Water Management Plan. LCRA has cut off stored water from the Highland Lakes to most interruptible customers since July 2022. Read more about LCRA’s water supply operations.

Am I required to limit my water use?
Yes, many communities have watering restrictions in place, and your water provider may impose additional restrictions if the drought continues.

LCRA’s Drought Contingency Plan outlines when its wholesale customers such as cities and industries are required to cut back water use during a drought.

Those customers have specific plans that apply to their end-use customers, including residences and businesses. As drought conditions worsen, these plans cut back on certain uses, such as outdoor watering. Check with your local water provider for details on how water use restrictions may apply to you.

What can I do to save water?
See WaterSmart Tips, Tools and Resources for ways to save water. LCRA also offers several programs to encourage water conservation:

• WaterSmart Rebates can help offset the cost of upgrading irrigation systems, maintaining landscapes and pools, and testing your soil.
• WaterMyYard offers recommendations on how long to run irrigation systems efficiently while maintaining healthy lawns.

LCRA is encouraging everyone to implement water conservation habits and efficient, non-wasteful water use now. We can’t control how much it rains or how much water from the lakes evaporates, but we can control how much water we use.