Lake Marble Falls drawdown starts Oct. 1
In this photo during a previous drawdown of Lake Marble Falls, the 'falls' are just visible. Staff photo by Jennifer Greenwell
A three-month-long drawdown of Lake Marble Falls begins Saturday, Oct. 1. Within a week, the falls for which the city was named, which flow over a shelf of limestone and not marble, should be visible. The lake won’t be refilled until late December.
The Lower Colorado River Authority will drop the lake by 1 foot a day over seven days by releasing water through the hydroelectric generators at Starcke Dam into Lake Travis. The water released from Lake Marble Falls will total about 3,000 acre-feet, which will cause Lake Travis to rise by a couple of inches. (One acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons.) Refilling begins on Monday, Dec. 26, at about 2 feet a day until the lake returns to its normal range on Thursday, Dec. 29.
The drawdown is to enable LCRA to perform work at Starcke Dam to keep the hydroelectric generators operating over the winter. Lakeside property owners will be able to perform work on existing docks, retaining walls, and other infrastructure.
For a list of projects allowed during the drawdown and to register projects with LCRA, visit www.lcra.org/lakelowerings. Registration for dock repairs is not required, but all work must comply with the Safety Standards for Residential Docks on the Highland Lakes.
Activities prohibited during the drawdown include burning in the lakebed, replacing or building new retaining walls, shoreline work of more than 500 feet, and dredging more than 2,000 cubic yards.
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Just wondering what Zebra Mussels smell like as they die? Guess we will find out.