Managing the Highland Lakes Through Drought

LCRA encourages everyone in the lower Colorado River basin to incorporate additional water conservation efforts into their daily lives as the region’s dry conditions and triple-digit heat continues.

LCRA in Stage 2 of its drought response

LCRA entered Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan for Firm Water Customers  Aug. 12, when the amount of water in lakes Buchanan and Travis, the two water supply reservoirs in the Highland Lakes, fell below 900,000 acre-feet, or about 46% of capacity. Read the Aug. 14, 2023, news release. In Stage 2, LCRA is requesting firm customers – mostly municipalities, water districts and industries – implement mandatory drought response measures with a target of reducing water use by 10%-20%. Each firm customer has its own drought contingency plan to determine when and how to cut back water use. LCRA entered Stage 1 of the DCP in July 2022 and asked firm customers to voluntarily reduce water use by 5%. Read the July 24, 2023, news release.

Before entering Stage 1 of the DCP and under its state-approved Water Management Plan, LCRA cut off interruptible stored water from the Highland Lakes for most agricultural customers in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties for the second growing season in 2022. In March 2023, LCRA determined no stored water from the lakes would be available in 2023 for most agricultural customers. Read the March 2, 2023, news release and more about LCRA’s water supply operations.