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LCRA describes rare July inflows, warns lakes remain at risk despite big gains
Summary
LCRA water operations staff told the board July brought historic inflows that filled Lake Buchanan and brought Lake Travis near capacity; staff said Hydromet gauges were damaged and restored, watering restrictions were lifted, but with Buchanan brimful any new upstream inflows may require aggressive gate operations.
Chair Cooper and the Lower Colorado River Authority board heard a basin-conditions briefing Aug. 20 from Kelly Payne, LCRA senior vice president of water operations, who described “one of the most historic July inflow events” in recent memory and outlined current flood and water‑supply operations.
Payne said July’s inflow to the Highland Lakes was roughly 761,382 acre‑feet, about 955% of the long‑term July average, and that combined storage in Lakes Buchanan and Travis increased by roughly 833,755 acre‑feet. “Buchanan came up to elevation 1020, which is completely full,” Payne said, noting it was the first time Buchanan had reached that elevation since February 2005.
Payne told directors LCRA’s Hydromet monitoring network — about 275 gauges — helped staff time releases and operations but suffered damage at several locations during the floods; two gauges (Hamilton Creek and Big Sandy) washed out and were restored within weeks. He said LCRA’s HydroMet site and a Flood Operations Notification Service provide near‑real‑time information to emergency officials and the public.
Payne said combined storage was about 1.86–1.89 million acre‑feet (roughly 93–95% full as of early August) and that LCRA had lifted watering restrictions under its drought contingency plan for customers. He warned, however, that because Buchanan is brimful “there’s not room for another San Saba flood to store it,” and any new significant upstream inflows will require aggressive gate operations to pass water safely downstream.
Board members asked about debris and navigation‑buoy restoration; staff said LCRA prioritized hazards that threaten navigation and operations and would remove hazards that endanger infrastructure, while most private property cleanup remains the owner’s responsibility. Payne emphasized that the drought is not over despite improved storage: “We got to 93% full, but we didn’t fill up Lake Travis,” he said.
The board received the presentation; staff did not request a formal vote on operations measures during the open session. The LCRA said it will continue to share Hydromet updates and coordinate with local emergency officials as conditions evolve.
