Heavy rain and flooding in the upper basin of the Llano River is sending millions of gallons of water downstream on the night of Thursday, July 16. Llano County is under a National Weather Service flood warning as the river is expected to rise considerably by Thursday night. 

According to the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Llano River will rise to 21 feet at the Llano Dam by 8 p.m. on Thursday, then slowly drop back to normal levels by Saturday. This is just two feet below the 23-foot major flooding stage. 

“(The rising water) should not get into houses,” Llano County Emergency Management Coordinator Gilbert Bennett told DailyTrib. “The main thing is keeping an eye on the river, especially if you live by it.”

At 21 feet, the Llano River could damage docks, boats, and riverside structures downstream of the Llano Dam in and near Kingsland. There will also likely be moderate lowland flooding and closures of low-water crossings throughout Llano County. 

As of Thursday, CR 102, RR 2768, and the Kingsland Slab Road were all closed to through traffic. 

Llano County’s NWS flood warning is in effect until Saturday afternoon.

While Llano County has only received 2-4.5 inches of rain in the last 48 hours, counties farther west, which feed into the Llano River and its tributaries, have received as high as 11 inches of rain in some locations within the same timeframe according to the LCRA Hydromet. 

Burnet County is not expecting the same flood impacts, but Lake Marble Falls has been closed and flows through the lake are expected to increase as the LCRA opens flood gates to allow water to pass through.

Floodgates

As of 3 p.m. on Thursday, the LCRA has plans to open floodgates on Wirtz Dam and Starcke Dam later in the day on Thursday to allow for flood waters to pass through. Once the gates are open, this could cause fast flows and higher water levels on Lake Marble Falls and Lake Travis. 

dakota@thepicayune.com