LCRA eyes 2025 rate rise for farmers
When the water levels drop in lakes Travis and Buchanan (pictured here in April 2024), the Lower Colorado River Authority can stop sending water to downstream farmers on the Gulf Coast who have interruptible water contracts. File photo
The Lower Colorado River Authority has proposed raising rates for downstream rice and turf farmers in 2025. The Board of Directors is expected to vote on the increase for interruptible water users at its Jan. 22 meeting. The deadline for public comments is Jan. 6.
Contracts for downstream users in the Gulf Coast region are termed “interruptible” because, during a drought, the LCRA can withhold water releases to the farmers based on levels in the authority’s two Highland Lakes reservoirs: Buchanan and Travis.
The LCRA evaluates the water supply on March 1 and July 1 each year to determine how much water will be made available to interruptible customers. No Highland Lakes water was sent downstream the past two years, except to one district with a grandfathered contract.
Interruptible rates were raised in January 2022 and again in January 2023.
Three rate structures were proposed: one for the Gulf Coast and Lakeside divisions and two for the Garwood division, which has a grandfathered contract.
The minimum charge for Gulf Coast and Lakeside growers would go up to $35.01 per acre-foot from $34.22. Garwood’s minimum would remain at $25. An acre-foot of water is equal to 325,851 gallons.
Supplemental fees would increase by $1.05 per acre-foot to $77.79 from $76.04 for Gulf Coast and Lakeside. Garwood’s one-lift rate would go up by $1.15 to $43.47 per acre-foot from $42.32. Rates for two lifts would increase by $1.36 per acre-foot to $51.53 from $50.17. The farmers use electric lifts to move water from the Colorado River tributaries into their irrigation lines. Lifts are also used to measure the amount of water the growers take.
The LCRA increased firm water rates by 6.45 percent in October for the 2025 billing cycle. Those rates rose from $155 per acre-foot to $165. Firm water users are municipalities, water supply companies, and industrial users as well as residents who draw their water directly from a lake.