Drought becoming more intense as weather offers little relief

Because of the extremely dry weather, very little water has flowed into the Highland Lakes so far this year and the prolonged drought gripping the region is growing stronger.

There have been a few violent storms in 2013, but they have not produced much water for lakes Travis and Buchanan, the lower Colorado River basin’s water reservoirs. The lakes are less than 40 percent full. Weather forecasts call for near- to slightly below-normal rainfall across Texas through August, but there is not expected to be enough rain to break the drought.

LCRA has taken significant measures to manage the water supply during this drought. Most downstream farmers will go without water from the Highland Lakes in 2013 for the second consecutive year. The cutoff of agricultural water is required by emergency drought relief requested by LCRA’s Board of Directors and approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

LCRA’s Board made the decision to request the emergency relief on Jan. 8 to help protect municipal and industrial customers during the severe drought. LCRA’s municipal and industrial customers contract for water that is guaranteed through conditions equal to that of the worst drought on record. Agricultural customers, mostly downstream rice farmers, pay a lower rate for water that can be cut back or cut off during a severe drought.

LCRA has also been working with its firm municipal and industrial customer to conserve water and is preparing to require more conservation if the severe drought continues. Everyone throughout the basin should conserve water and use it wisely. For conservation tips and information on programs that could help you save money and water, see watersmart.org.

Water flowing into the Highland Lakes

Historically low inflows

Lakes Travis and Buchanan, the region’s water supply reservoirs, depend on rain to feed the rivers, creeks and other tributaries that fill them. But because of the prolonged drought, the amount of water flowing into the lakes, called inflows, has been historically low over the past two years. Inflows in 2011 were the lowest in history, at about 10 percent of average, and inflows in 2012 were the fifth lowest in history, at about 32 percent of average.

Unfortunately, inflows in 2013 are comparable to 2011 so far:

• April inflows were 10,985 acre-feet, which is about 11 percent of April’s historical average;
• March inflows were 10,888 acre-feet, which is about 12 percent of March’s historical average of 91,373 acre-feet;
• February inflows were 8,949 acre-feet, which is about 10 percent of February’s historical average of 85,739 acre-feet; and
• January inflows were 15,258 acre-feet, which is about 23 percent of January’s historical average of 65,597 acre-feet.

Lake Conditions

The table below shows recent conditions at lakes Travis and Buchanan, along with projected conditions if the severe drought were to continue through Nov. 1, 2013, as compared to the conditions experienced during historical lows.

*Based on daily 8 a.m. lake levels.

**Based on persistent dry conditions and following the TCEQ approved temporary emergency changes to WMP.