ENVIRONMENT Lake Travis faces historic low levels
Lower Colorado River Authority o cials said 2022 was one of the worst years for water levels at Lake Travis. Data shows the lake is the lowest it has been since 2015. Near-decade low Historical water levels of Lake Travis
700
682.54
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
673.6
680
In ows to Lake Travis in 2022 were some of the worst on record, concern- ing water conservation advocates, res- idents and business owners. Lower water levels have a profound impact on both the local business com- munity and residents because the lake is well known as a spot for watersport vacationing, said Karen Shultz, the president of the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce. As reduced lake levels fall below the accessibility of public boat ramps, Shultz said those who do not keep their boats at private dock slips in a marina may face some di - culty getting in the water. “It a ects the marina business and restaurants,” Shultz said. “People can’t just drag their boats up and get o and come up to the restaurant. It’s a bigger deal.” The trend of low in ows—water entering the Highland Lakes sys- tem managed by the Lower Colo- rado River Authority via rainfall, tributary rivers and groundwater—is also persisting into 2023, data shows. The amount of water owing into both Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan totaled just over 118,000 acre-feet, about 10% of average annual in ows, LCRA Public Information O cer Clara Tuma said. Even recent storm activity has not been enough to raise the lake’s level, LCRA data shows. Impact to local businesses Historical data shows the lake has remained at around 640 mean sea level, just under 32 feet lower than its historical May average. Roland Adams, the general manager of Crosswaters Yacht Club, who has operated multiple marinas on Lake Travis for over 20 years, said closings around the lake during low periods come down to a test of how that business is run and the bond built with the surrounding community. “In reality, if that restaurant was run incredibly well, then people will nd a way to get there,” Adams said. Adams is also president of the Marina Association of Texas and said other marinas may be having di erent experiences based on the lake’s topography. While some may have to
660
639.23
655.73
629.85
640
620
628.19
0
2013
2014 2015
2016 2017
2018 2019 2020 2021
2022
2023
NOTE: AS OF MAY 16
Reduced lake levels are caused by decreased rainfall, National Weather Service data shows. Rainfall readings taken at Mans eld Dam show 2022 was the worst year for rainfall on record. All-time lows
Monthly rainfall averages for Austin area
The Central Texas area has seen reduced rainfall, as drought conditions persisted for much of 2022, according to NWS data.
14.64 in.
15
11.53 in.
7.59 in.
10
2.93 in.
5
0
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
NOTE: AS OF APRIL 28
SOURCES: LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNITY IMPACT
water levels at Lake Travis, Shannon Hamilton, executive director of the Central Texas Water Coalition, said she is concerned about the region’s water supply as many cities draw water from the Highland Lakes system. “Our biggest concern is there is no plan for a drought worse than the drought of record,” Hamilton said. “We’re highly concerned about the Highland Lakes.” The LCRA manages a network of lakes and dams in Central Texas called the Highland Lakes. Located northwest of Austin, the lakes are in an arid part of the state that is prone to both ooding and drought. Made up of Lakes Buchanan, Inks, Lyndon B. Johnson, Marble Falls, Travis and Austin, the series of reservoirs receiving water from the Colorado River and its tributaries, rainfall and groundwater ows provides drinking water to more than 2.5 million people in Central Texas as well as irrigation for ranch and farm operations. The lake system has been designed to weather periods of drought and
relocate based on the lake level, others such as Crosswaters are able to move farther into the lake. “All the marinas on Lake Travis are table anchored, so they have winches and cables,” Adams said. “When you’re letting the marina go up and down, you’re adjusting it side to side, front and back. You’re constantly adjusting.” Roger Du ee, general manager of MarineMax Sail & Ski, said he has heard from customers who have had di culty accessing public boat ramps as low water levels prompt closures. As of early May, only two public Lake Travis boat ramps are open. “The challenge is for the people that choose to trailer their boat and use the public launch ramps,” Du ee said. “What would be ideal is if Travis County and the LCRA would invest in the infrastructure to extend boat ramps and continue to make the lake accessible for the people who are reliant on trailering.” Conservation e orts Following the yearslong trend of low
ood since its creation in the 1940s, providing a reservoir for local entities to draw from, and is intended to uctuate in this manner, according to the LCRA website. Due to consumer usage and ongoing drought conditions, the LCRA announced in March that some agricultural customers are cut off from receiving water from the Highland Lakes system. The water authority remains in the rst stage of its drought contingency plan, which went into e ect in July 2022, when the combined storage of water in lakes Buchanan and Travis reached 1.2 million acre-feet, requiring rm customers, which are mostly municipalities and utility districts, to decrease usage by 5%. Should the combined storage fall below 900,000 acre-feet, the LCRA would move into stage two of its plan and ask rm customers to reduce usage by 10%-20%. Without improved in ows, LCRA sta estimates this low-water threshold could be reached this summer.
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CEDAR PARK FAR NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023
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