The Highland Lakes and Colorado River

The Highland Lakes on the lower Colorado River northwest of Austin sit in an arid part of Texas that is prone to both floods and serious droughts. Two of the lakes – Buchanan and Travis – are the region’s primary water supply reservoirs.

Lakes Buchanan and Travis were designed to fluctuate, going up while capturing water during rainy times and going down as water is used or evaporates when the weather turns drier. The lakes have provided a reliable water supply for Central Texas since Lake Travis was completed in the 1940s.

After years of severe drought and low inflows into the lakes, flooding rains in early July 2025 increased the combined storage of the lakes from 51% to 75% of capacity over several days. The last time lakes Buchanan and Travis were full was in July 2019.

Highland Lakes, Water Supply and Lake Levels FAQs