Environment
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
LCRA reservoir could add 13 billion gallons to Central Texas water supply
What they’re saying
Adding a reservoir in this area could help all water customers in the lower Colorado River basin, according to the release, because this part of the state receives more annual rainfall than the Highland Lakes northwest of Austin. “Building a new reservoir takes years, so it’s important to start developing new supplies before the demand arrives,” LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said in the release. “Meeting future needs requires a combination of adding new supplies and using the supplies we already have thoughtfully.” Should studies find the site to be suitable for a reservoir, it would be the second in the lower Colorado River basin, after Arbuckle.
The Lower Colorado River Authority is conducting studies to determine if a site northwest of Eagle Lake in Colorado County would be suitable for a new, larger water reservoir. LCRA already owns the 2,000-acre site, which could add over 13 billion gallons to the Central Texas water supply amid growing water needs. The river authority, which supplies water and hydroelectric power to many communities throughout Central Texas, is exploring plans to build a new reservoir that could hold up to 90,000 acre-feet of water. That would make it larger than the recently opened Arbuckle Reservoir, or two to three times the capacity of Lake Austin.
Potential LCRA reservoir
COLORADO RIVER
SUNDERMAN RD.
Eagle Lake
RAMSEY RD.
102
PRARIE PLANT RD.
90
N
A new reservoir off the river authority’s main channel was established in its Water Supply Resource Report, an overview of strategies to address regional water needs, that was approved last year, according to a Feb. 19 news release.
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