 Dear Members:
As you know, our Coalition has closely followed and participated in the update process of LCRA’s Water Management Plan for the past two years.
And so we believe the final version that was approved by the state in February is one that we can live with – even if it presents challenges for the lower Colorado River basin.
Here are key points of the 2020 Water Management Plan, approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality:
- For the first time, sets a maximum limit on the amount of stored water that can be released from lakes Travis and Buchanan for interruptible customers - such as rice farmers in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties.
- Maintains storage in lakes Travis and Buchanan above 600,000 acre-feet through drought
- Uses projected water demands through 2025.
- Continues to require lake water releases to help meet specific flow conditions in the river and into Matagorda Bay.
The Plan takes effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
See the full news release here.
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In other news that impacts the lower Colorado River Basin…
The Coalition is closely monitoring construction of LCRA’s Arbuckle Reservoir in Wharton County following a 26% increase in the budget that was approved in December for remedial work to stop water seepage from the off-channel reservoir.
The reservoir is designed to add 90,000 acre-feet of water a year to LCRA’s water supplies and is expected to come online in late spring 2022.
See the news release here.
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Finally...
We appreciate all who recently renewed their membership. This means we can continue to carry out the mission and goals of our Coalition.
And if you have not yet renewed, please do so here.
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