Projects for New Water Supply

Potential new reservoir in Colorado County

LCRA is moving forward with a feasibility study to determine if property it owns northwest of Eagle Lake in Colorado County would be suitable for a large new water supply reservoir. Read the Feb. 18, 2026, news release.

The potential new reservoir could help LCRA meet its goal of adding about 60,000 acre-feet of water supplies by 2040. A new off-channel reservoir is one of the strategies included in LCRA’s Water Supply Resource Report to meet the region’s long-term water supply needs.

Bastrop County groundwater wells

In 2013, LCRA added to the region’s water supply by adding four groundwater wells around Lake Bastrop in Bastrop County. The project allows LCRA to pump up to 10,000 acre-feet of water a year, under certain conditions, to provide cooling water for LCRA’s Lost Pines Power Park.

LCRA also owns the groundwater rights associated with the 5,000-acre Griffith League Boy Scout Ranch in Bastrop County and originally sought permits to drill up to eight wells to produce up to 25,000 acre-feet of water. LCRA holds groundwater permits for 8,000 acre-feet per year and continues to work on required federal permits. In 2026, LCRA is looking to potentially build two wells to pump up to 8,000 acre-feet per year to add to the water supply.

Williamson County return flows

LCRA supplies water to customers in Williamson County, which is in both the Colorado and Brazos river basins. LCRA is considering a project to bring up to 35,000 acre-feet per year of that water back into the lower Colorado River basin in the form of treated wastewater. The return flows would expand the basin’s water supply and help meet the “no net loss” requirement of House Bill 1437.

Lake Bastrop water supply

LCRA is considering changing how it operates Lake Bastrop to create additional water supply. By allowing the lake to fluctuate within an 8-foot range (between 442 and 450 feet above mean sea level), water could be released to the Colorado River for customers. The project has the potential to add about 10,200 acre-feet of water to the region’s supply. The project is in the design phase, and LCRA is evaluating permitting requirements.

Targeted bay and estuary inflows

LCRA is researching the use of local brackish groundwater and/or targeted surface water to benefit estuaries along Matagorda Bay and help meet flow requirements. Brackish groundwater or surface water delivered from the Gulf Coast Agricultural Division canal system could potentially supply the environmentally sensitive areas with water more efficiently than sending water downstream from the Highland Lakes.