DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR MARBLE FALLS — When it comes to the drought strangling the Highland Lakes and most of Texas, Lower Colorado River Authority General Manager Beck Motal understands the impact it has on communities up and down the river’s lower basin.

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FROM STAFF REPORTS AUSTIN — A late-inning save for lower Colorado River rice farmers never came as a deadline for a Highland Lakes water cutoff came and went March 1 without substantial increases to lake levels.

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FROM STAFF REPORTS BURNET — Highland Lakes residents can learn about the current water and drought situation during a meeting Feb. 27 at the Burnet County Courthouse, 220 S. Pierce St. The meeting, “Dealing with the Drought Disaster and Water Legislation,” starts at 6 p.m in the second-floor room at the courthouse. Doors open at [...]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS AUSTIN — Without a tremendous amount of rain between now and 11:59 p.m. March 1, the Lower Colorado River Authority will cut off most water releases from the Highland Lakes for downstream irrigation purposes.

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AUSTIN — The Highland Lakes could get some relief in the future from downstream water demands if the Lower Colorado River Authority gets a new reservoir built.

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SPICEWOOD BEACH — Officials have proposed a $1.2 million floating water-intake system as a long-term solution to the domestic needs of lakeside communities that have relied for months on water trucked in by the Lower Colorado River Authority.

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AUSTIN — Without a significant amount of rain falling in the upper portion of the lower Colorado River basin by March 1, rice farmers in three lower basin counties could face a second year without Highland Lakes water. At least that’s what a resolution unanimously approved Jan. 8 by the 15-member Lower Colorado River Authority [...]

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AUSTIN — The Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors will vote Jan. 8 on readdressing emergency drought relief that could restrict water releases from the Highland Lakes for downstream irrigation usage. “I think it’s a very good decision by the LCRA to reconsider those releases,” said Burnet County Precinct 1 Commissioner Bill Neve. Neve’s [...]

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AUSTIN — As the Lower Colorado River Authority moves to sell costly retail water and wastewater systems, Burnet County officials are expressing frustration with the water purveyor, saying there was delayed communication on a deal that directly affects their constituents. “The concern is that LCRA offered to sell us a utility, Bonanza Beach, through a [...]

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AUSTIN — The water war between the Highland Lakes and rice farmers reaches a critical phase this week with the possible approval of a plan to manage the Lower Colorado River basin during drought. Both sides will muster their forces when the Lower Colorado River Authority board meets 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. [...]

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BURNET — A state lawmaker is vowing to make waves again by introducing legislation to reform the appointment process for the Lower Colorado River Authority board. “It has to do with affecting more local accountability,” state Rep. Donna Howard told The Tribune Jan. 4 after a local speaking engagement. She wants to limit how many [...]

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HORSESHOE BAY — LCRA will upgrade about four miles of transmission lines between the Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant and Wirtz Dam in the coming weeks to handle consumers’ growing electric demand. Construction should be finished by June,  Lower Colorado River Authority officials said Friday. The upgrades are not part of any Competitive Renewable Energy [...]

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