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LCRA: Basin largely drought-free but outlook leans drier as La Niña watch issued
Summary
LCRA staff told the Water Operations Committee on Sept. 24 that combined storage in Lakes Buchanan and Travis remained well above the 2014 drought benchmark, but inflows were below average for August and forecasters see elevated chances of La Niña and below-normal rainfall this fall and winter.
On Sept. 24, at a meeting of the Lower Colorado River Authority’s Water Operations Committee, LCRA staff presented an update showing the Highland Lakes system remained well above storage levels seen during the 2015 drought of record, but near-term outlooks lean drier. Kelly Payne, LCRA staff, told the committee that as of early September combined storage in Lakes Buchanan and Travis was about 1.8 million acre-feet, roughly 90–92% full and “still over a million acre feet more than we were 09/01/2014,” a comparable point during the drought of record.
The report matters because lower inflows and a seasonal shift in precipitation patterns could reduce future reservoir gains and affect water supply planning for central Texas. Payne said August inflows returned “to…
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