Highland Lakes flooding; more on the way
A young boy watches flood water pour over Starcke Dam in Marble Falls into Lake Travis. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Llano County saw moderate flooding of the Llano River on Thursday, July 16, and Friday, July 17, but the waterway is expected to rise again, reaching “major flood stage” on Friday night and early Saturday morning. While the river could be up 25 feet or more at its peak during the coming rise, Llano County officials say homes along the river should still be safe.
According to the Lower Colorado River Authority’s most recent flood operations report, as of 2 p.m. on Friday, the Llano River is expected to rise to 25 feet above its normal level at the Llano Dam by 1 a.m. on Saturday, July 18. The river hit 20.24 feet at its highest in the recent rise at around 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The expected 25-foot rise is higher than the 23-foot threshold for a “major flood stage.” At 23 feet, major lowland flooding and closures of low water crossings are possible. Boats and docks could be damaged, and any property near the banks of the river is in jeopardy. At 26 feet, riverside property could be severely damaged, but all of the homes in Llano County should be safe from the rising water.
“In my experience there is not a lot of damage at these levels,” Llano County Emergency Management Coordinator Gilbert Bennett told DailyTrib. “Most properties that would have been impacted have already made adjustments.”
Bennett noted that the catastrophic flooding of the Llano River in October 2018 was far higher, at around 39.9 feet. Even during that event, most homes were safe, but bridges, docks, piers, and watercraft were swept away.
Llano County is under a National Weather Service flood warning until 11:12 a.m. on Sunday, July 19. Many low water crossings, including the Kingsland Slab Road, will be closed throughout the flood event.
Floodgates
The Lower Colorado River Authority opened multiple floodgates on Wirtz Dam and Max Starcke Dam on Thursday afternoon, and they will likely remain open throughout the flood event to allow rushing water to pass through to Lake Travis.
Since flooding began on Thursday, Lake Travis rose to over 679 feet above mean sea level by 2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 17. The LCRA expects that the largest of the Highland Lakes could be full for the first time since 2018 by Friday night.
“Lake Travis is expected to reach the top of its conservation pool (681 feet above mean sea level) this evening,” reads a flood operations update issued by the LCRA at 2:13 p.m. on Friday. “On Saturday, July 18, LCRA will open one floodgate at Mansfield Dam at 6 a.m. and a second floodgate at the dam at 1 p.m.”
