Public comment open for Marble Falls firm water contract with LCRA
The city of Marble Falls is considering purchasing an additional 3,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Marble Falls to add to its reserves. The city buys its water from the Lower Colorado River Authority. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
Public comments on the sale of additional water to the city of Marble Falls and five other Lower Colorado River Authority firm water contracts can be made at the LCRA’s next Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 24 in Austin.
Notices for the sales are posted online. Scroll down the page to find the Marble Falls information under “Notice of pending water sales contracts requiring LCRA board action.”
The Marble Falls notice follows a request made in August by the City Council to up the city’s firm water contract from 3,000 acre-feet to 7,000 acre-feet. The city is pursuing additional water reserves, which it buys from the LCRA and pulls from Lake Marble Falls, to prepare for anticipated growth.
“As you all know, we’re looking at different impacts of growth in the future,” City Manager Mike Hodge told councilors during their regular meeting on Aug. 1.
Growth projections confirmed the need for more water.
“With a slow growth rate of 4 percent, (water) runs out in 2036,” Hodge said. “At 12 percent, it’s 2026.”
The cost of the new contract depends on how Marble Falls uses the water. If the city stores the water, it will pay $77.50 per acre-foot. If the city chooses to use the water, the price doubles to $155 per acre-foot.
Councilors included funding for the increased firm water contract in the city’s annual budget, which was approved in September.
Other public comments for HIF USA, the city of Lago Vista, Travis County Water Control, Improvement District 10, and Travis County WCID 17 will also be held at the Jan. 24 meeting.