Managing the Highland Lakes Through Drought
Lakes Buchanan and Travis are part of the chain of Highland Lakes on the Colorado River northwest of Austin. Lakes Buchanan and Travis were designed to fluctuate, capturing water during rainy times and holding it for use when the weather turns drier. The lakes have provided a reliable water supply for Central Texas since Lake Travis was completed in the 1940s.
The last time lakes Buchanan and Travis were full was in July 2019.
Drought and the lower Colorado River basin FAQs
Levels in lakes Travis and Buchanan 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 and the combined storage of lake Buchanan and Travis falls to 900,000 acre-feet, or if on March 1 or July 1, combined storage is less than 1.1 million acre-feet and the prior three months of inflows are less than the 25th percentile of historic inflows for that three-month period, LCRA will move into Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan. At that point, LCRA would require its firm water customers to implement drought response measures, including limiting outdoor watering to no more than once per week, with a goal of reducing water use by 20%.
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.
Lake levels
How full are the lakes?
LCRA in Stage 1 of its drought response
LCRA has requested its firm customers – mostly municipalities, water districts and industries – put in place mandatory drought response measures with the goal of reducing water use by at least 10%. Each firm customer has its own drought contingency plan that determines how to cut back water use and establishes restrictions and enforcement for its customers.
LCRA entered Stage 2 of its drought response in August 2023, when the amount of water in lakes Buchanan and Travis fell below 900,000 acre-feet, or 45% of capacity. Lakes Buchanan and Travis rose above 1.1 million acre-feet in June 2024, and LCRA returned to Stage 1 of its drought response.
If combined storage in the lakes rises to 1.2 million acre-feet, LCRA would exit Stage 1 of its Drought Contingency Plan for Firm Water Customers. If the combined storage falls to 900,000 acre-feet, LCRA would return to Stage 2 of its drought response. LCRA also would return to Stage 2 if combined storage is less than 1.1 million acre-feet on March 1 or July 1 and the prior three months of inflows are less than the 25th percentile of historic inflows for that three-month period.
LCRA cut off water to most downstream interruptible agricultural customers for a second straight full year
On March 2, LCRA determined no water from the Highland Lakes would be available for most LCRA agricultural customers in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties in 2024, for the second year in a row. Read the March 2, 2024, news release.
Read more about LCRA’s water supply operations and why LCRA releases water from the Highland Lakes.
Current conditions
River Operations Report
Daily report on routine water supply operations at the dams.
Inflows into lakes Buchanan and Travis (.pdf)
September inflows totaled 81,916 acre-feet, which is about 88% of the September historical average and about 194% of the September historical median..
Hydromet
Interactive map and reports on rainfall and more.
Lake levels
Current lake level information.
Basin streamflow summary
Current streamflow data in the basin.
Historical lake levels
Daily lake levels and combined storage (.pdf)
Lake Buchanan (.xls)
Inks Lake (.xls)
Lake LBJ (.xls)
Lake Marble Falls (.xls)
Lake Travis (.xls)
Lake Austin (.xls)
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