Tribpedia: Lower Colorado River Authority

Tribpedia

The Lower Colorado River Authority is a conservation district managing natural resources along a 600-mile stretch of the Colorado River, notably supplying wholesale water and energy for the drought-stricken Central Texas.

The LCRA manages water supplies in the Lower Colorado Basin stretching from San Saba to the Gulf Coast, which consists of the Blanco, Burnet, Llano, Travis, Bastrop, Fayette, Colorado ...

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LCRA Passes Compromise Plan to Release Water to Farmers

Enlarge photo by: Jonathan Brown

In a decision fraught with controversy, the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority voted Wednesday to release water to rice farmers next spring if Central Texas' Highland Lakes, already diminished by drought, remain at least 38.5 percent full. Some called the plan a life line for farmers, while others said it put Central Texans at risk of losing water access.

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

Emergency Drought Plan May Cut Rice Farmers Off Again

  • by Mose Buchele, KUT News/StateImpact Texas

In another sign the Texas drought is far from over, the Lower Colorado River Authority is contemplating whether to enact an emergency plan that could cut off water supplies to rice farmers for the second year. 

Residents of Lake Travis have extended staircases and moved docks further out to accommodate lower lake levels. Some say the declining levels are bringing down property values.
Enlarge photo by: Todd Wiseman
Residents of Lake Travis have extended staircases and moved docks further out to accommodate lower lake levels. Some say the declining levels are bringing down property values.

Bad News Expected Today for Texas Rice Farmers

Texas rice farmers near the Gulf Coast are anxiously awaiting word on whether they'll get water from the Lower Colorado River Authority for a rice crop this spring. The LCRA says the farmers' prospects are not good — which will relieve other Texans who also have a stake in the water.

Enlarge photo by: Ihwa Cheng / KUT News

LCRA to Consider Far-Reaching Water Plan

The Lower Colorado River Authority, the utility that controls water flowing from the Highland Lakes to the Gulf Coast, is set to approve a new plan for allocating water. But as Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas reports, the authority will first hear from the various — and often feuding — communities relying on the affected water sources.

Water levels have dropped at Lake Travis because the drought, May 16 2011.
Enlarge photo by: LCRA
Water levels have dropped at Lake Travis because the drought, May 16 2011.

Levels in Texas' Highland Lakes Falling, LCRA Warns

At a press conference today, the Lower Colorado River Authority warned Austin and the rest of Central Texas to brace for continued drought. Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan, the region's major reservoirs, are currently 52 percent full, and dropping steadily.