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Central Texas Water Coalition tells Lakeway leaders drought is long-term; urges policy and reserve changes
Summary
Shannon Hamilton of the Central Texas Water Coalition told the Lakeway City Council the region is in a prolonged drought, urged a protected water reserve and updates to the LCRA water-management plan, and encouraged local conservation and policy changes at the state level.
Shannon Hamilton, director of the Central Texas Water Coalition, updated the Lakeway City Council on regional water supplies on April 21, telling members the outlook is poor and that policy changes at the state level will be needed to protect supply.
Hamilton said the region has entered a protracted drought beginning in 2019 and that new large-scale water projects are 10–20 years away. “I will tell you the number 1 issue for our state and especially our region. It's water,” Hamilton said. She described inflows to Highland-area reservoirs as a fraction of historical averages and said recent years rank among the lowest on record.
Hamilton summarized CTWC’s policy priorities: (1) a more protective water management plan for the Lower Colorado River Authority basin with stricter curtailment triggers and updated inflow modeling; (2) a proposed “safe reserve” to protect six to 12 months of water from new contracts; (3) greater transparency and possible registration of small permanent ponds that permanently remove runoff; and (4) legislative support for new water-supply funding (including desalination and brackish-water projects) and for limiting HOA fines for brown, drought-tolerant landscaping.
She gave several technical points the coalition has raised with LCRA and the Texas Legislature: inflows to Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan have fallen 30–50 percent compared with historical run‑off assumptions; evaporation and increased wind are accelerating lake declines; and tens of thousands of small privately owned ponds have reduced runoff available to the lakes. Hamilton urged uniform drought stages across neighboring jurisdictions to make restrictions easier for residents to follow.
Council members asked about statewide funding proposals and local measures. Hamilton said Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 16 (both working versions at the Capitol) would fund new water supply projects, and she described the bills as having different priorities: SB7 emphasizes “shovel-ready” projects and a higher fraction of funding for new supply; HB16 would allow regional flexibility on what projects to pursue. She also told council members the coalition is prepared to file a contested case if the new water-management plan does not adequately protect lakes and supplies.
The council did not take formal action on the presentation. Staff and council members said they would continue to coordinate with CTWC and monitor relevant legislation and modeling updates.
