Complaints over water plan for Colorado River evaporate at meeting — for now

AUSTIN — Fears the rice industry would push for changes to a recent water-management plan for the Colorado River didn’t materialize during a regional planning meeting July 11, but the subject is far from closed.

Apprehension had built among Highland Lakes interests that rice farmers from the lower river basin — Wharton, Matagorda and Colorado counties — would use the LCRA Region K Planning Group meeting to push for changes to a stakeholder-approved Water Management Plan hammered out during an 18-month period.