Austin task force: Highland Lakes inflows fall to well-below average; projections show storage may drop through summer

Marissa (Austin Water staff) told the task force that inflows to the Highland Lakes — Lakes Travis and Buchanan — have fallen back to “well below average” after 2024’s temporary bump and that combined storage has been declining in recent months.

The task force reviewed a chart comparing inflows. Marissa said the light blue bars show average inflows since the reservoirs were built, dark blue bars show averages from roughly 2008–2015, green shows 2024 and purple shows January–March 2025. “We are back down to well below average inflows into the Highland Lakes during these past few months,” she said.

Why it matters: the task force and staff use combined storage in the two lakes to assess regional supply and to trigger drought‑response strategies. Marissa reminded the group that modeling and planning use those combined…