Marble Falls faces serious water woes by spring, officials warn

MARBLE FALLS  — The city could face a serious water shortage by early spring triggered by the drought, shrinking lakes and restrictions ordered by the Lower Colorado River Authority.

That was the gist of sobering messages delivered Nov. 1 to the City Council by both City Manager Ralph Hendricks and Burnet County Judge Donna Klaeger.

“I don’t have much good news,” Hendricks said.

“Water reuse is a big deal,” Klaeger added. “The council has to start thinking about it.”

The council listened with much concern.

“It is kind of depressing,” said Councilwoman Jane Marie Hurst said. “We have to be mindful about the future.”

LCRA estimates  lakes Travis and Buchanan — the area’s principal reservoirs — are drying at an alarming rate. The state climatologist earlier this week told lawmakers in Austin the worst single-year drought since 1895 could extend another year.