Hello Friends, and Happy New Year,
LCRA is beginning the approval process for an updated Water Management Plan that will govern how our water is managed for at least the next 5–7 years. Once finalized and approved, this plan will be very difficult to reopen or revise, even if drought conditions worsen or key assumptions prove wrong. Because water released from our lakes cannot be recovered, the decisions being made now carry long-term risk to our drinking water, communities, and local economy.
The Central Texas Water Coalition believes this is a critical moment to share this information and request your public input. We have worked hard to advocate for improvements to the proposed plan, and while it does reflect some progress, it still does not go far enough to reduce risk for the people who rely on this water for basic life functions.
The Water Management Plan Update
What’s Happening — and When
- January 28 – LCRA staff will present the proposed Water Management Plan to the LCRA Board
- February 3 – Public comments are due
- February 18 – LCRA Board is expected to vote on the plan
- After Board approval – The plan is submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
- Once approved by TCEQ – The plan becomes very difficult to change without emergency orders, and little can be done once lake levels have already declined
This means that comments submitted now could still influence the outcome before the final Board vote.
Recognizing Improvements — and Why They’re Still Not Enough
We want to be clear: LCRA has made some improvements to this plan compared to the 2020 version, and we appreciate those efforts. For example:
- The amount of water proposed to be released downstream has been reduced, though it still represents a large volume capable of rapidly depleting the lakes
- Some storage thresholds that allow those releases have been strengthened
These are steps in the right direction. However, they are not enough given today’s risk and what recent history has shown us.
Where the Plan Still Falls Short — and Increases Risk
- Drinking Water Protections Haven’t Kept Pace with Growth
Even though the region has grown dramatically, LCRA has declined to significantly raise a key minimum combined storage level designed to protect drinking water. More people are relying on the same water supply, yet safeguards remain largely unchanged—increasing the risk of shortages during extended dry periods.
- Communities in Upper Lake Travis Are Particularly Vulnerable
Many communities rely on fixed water intakes in the upper areas of Lake Travis. If lake levels drop too far, these intakes cannot function, and residents would lose access to drinking water. The plan does not adequately protect these communities, while simultaneously allowing water to be pumped out of the basin through the new Brushy Creek pipeline, placing even more local water supplies at risk.
It should also be noted that current usage restrictions—such as once-per-week watering mandates included in Drought Contingency Plans—may not be followed by those using water delivered through the Brushy Creek pipeline. CTWC believes that any user drawing water from the Highland Lakes must be subject to the same restrictions as everyone else.
- Dry Years Like 2025 Highlight the Risk
Would you be surprised to learn that 2025 was the driest year since 2011? Without the July flash flood—during which approximately 20 inches of rain fell in just a few days—much of the region would have received only about 6 inches of rain for the entire year.
That single storm masked how dry the year truly was. Since 2008, inflows (the water flowing into our lakes, streams, and tributaries) to the Highland Lakes have declined significantly due to watershed changes, meaning we no longer receive the same benefit from rainfall that we once did. Isolated flash flood events can not and should not be relied upon to replenish the lakes or offset prolonged dry conditions.
The proposed plan does not adequately prepare for extended drought or the sustained low-inflow conditions we have been experiencing for more than a decade. Water planning that relies on floods is simply too risky.
- Extreme Droughts Could Be Even Worse
The plan relies on historical rainfall and inflow records, but it does not fully account for extreme historic droughts, such as the 1950s drought, which was significantly worse than the 2008–2015 drought. CTWC research shows that under current watershed and population conditions, a repeat of the 1950s drought would pose far greater risks to our lakes, drinking water, and communities than the plan anticipates.
The proliferation of more than 44,000 small, unmonitored ponds throughout the watershed has significantly reduced inflows, making recovery increasingly dependent on flood-like conditions.
- No Clear Safety Measures if Conditions Worsen
Given growing drought risk—including reduced rainfall, lower inflows, and continued regional growth—the plan should include a clear commitment to reopen and revise it if assumptions prove wrong or conditions deteriorate. This essential risk-management safeguard is currently missing and is a critical part of water planning.
- All Water Is Already Contracted — No Reserve for Residents
All available water under the plan is already contracted (sold), except for a meager board reserve that is not guaranteed. Despite continued population growth in Central Texas, there are no immediate plans to bring significant new water supplies to the region, leaving residents and businesses with no meaningful water reserve.
Meanwhile, as lake levels decline under the proposed plan, rice farmers alone could receive up to 200,000 acre-feet per year until cutoff triggers are reached—allowing continued rapid depletion of the lakes and once again placing community water supplies at significant risk.
What We Are Asking For
We have outlined our concerns with the proposed update. If you share these concerns, we encourage you to submit comments to LCRA and ask that they strengthen the Water Management Plan to reduce risk and better protect people, communities, and drinking water supplies, not just manage water under modeled average conditions.
Please consider asking LCRA to:
- Strengthen plan for dry years, low inflows, and extreme historic droughts like the 1950s
- Raise storage protections to reflect today’s population and demand
- Ensure residents and businesses are not left without a guaranteed water reserve
- Protect fixed-intake communities, in upper Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan
- Make a stronger commitment to reopening the plan if conditions worsen—before communities run out of water
Comments are due February 3. To submit your comments you must submit them here:
https://lcra.formstack.com/forms/lcra_wmp_comment_form
In conjunction, you can also email your comments to Board@lcra.org.
The LCRA Board will vote on the plan on February 18, so submitting comments now ensures your voice is heard before the plan is finalized. You are also welcomed to join us to make public comments at that meeting. More details to come once they release the agenda for that meeting.
Thank you for standing up for our shared water future at a moment when the risks are already clear. Because water released from our lakes cannot be recovered, the decisions being made now will shape the security of our communities for years to come.
With gratitude,
Shannon Hamilton
Executive Director, CTWC
shannon.hamilton.ctwc@gmail.com
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Our Contact Information:
Central Texas Water Coalition
Central Texas Water Coalition at PO Box 328
Friends of CTWC at PO Box 485
Spicewood, TX 78669
(512) 553-5827
