Most downstream farmers cut off from water release

March 02, 2013, 8:00 am by Phil Schoch

Most farmers in the lower Colorado River basin will go without irrigation water from the Highland Lakes for the second year in a row.

This historic cutoff of Highland Lakes water became official at 11:59 p.m. on March 1, when the combined storage of lakes Travis and Buchanan was less than 850,000 acre-feet. That is the trigger point in an emergency drought relief order requested by LCRA and approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Feb. 13. Combined storage at 11:59 p.m. was 822,782 acre-feet, or 40.9 percent full.

"This drought has been tremendously difficult for the entire region, and we know that going without water for the second year in a row will be painful for the farmers and the economies they help support in Matagorda, Wharton and Colorado counties,” LCRA General Manager Becky Motal said. "This was a difficult decision, but LCRA has to protect the water supply of its municipal and industrial customers during this prolonged drought.”Most farmers in the lower Colorado River basin will go without irrigation water from the Highland Lakes for the second year in a row.

This historic cutoff of Highland Lakes water became official at 11:59 p.m. on March 1, when the combined storage of lakes Travis and Buchanan was less than 850,000 acre-feet. That is the trigger point in an emergency drought relief order requested by LCRA and approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Feb. 13. Combined storage at 11:59 p.m. was 822,782 acre-feet, or 40.9 percent full.

 For more, see Tuesday's Highlander.

Reader Comments

People are without water in their homes due to this drought, yet we actually considered wasting even more water to kill weeds? A useablel lake brings in tourism dollars, whereas its unlikely to see people spending their vacations looking at a rice field. I think burnet, llano, and other counties should pay to hold back at least enough to keep the lake useable. Not full, useable. Right now...its merely a ditch.
March 05, 2013, 7:55am by Thom