As August nears its end, the hot weather refuses to go away. In fact, after “mild” 99-degree highs over the weekend, things are heating back up this week. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Blanco, Burnet, and Llano counties from noon to 8 p.m. Monday. Temperatures are expected to reach 102-104 […]

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS MARBLE FALLS — Water inflows so far this year from the Highland Lakes watershed into lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls, Travis, and Austin have been just 12.3 percent of historic averages. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS LLANO — Rains to the west of Llano have sustained streamflow on the Llano River, allowing Llano officials to move down to Stage 2 water restrictions. (more…)

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SPECIAL TO DAILYTRIB.COM LAMPASAS – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is offering assistance to eligible ranchers and livestock producers in Burnet County through its Livestock Forage Disaster Program for grazing losses incurred in 2018. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS BURNET — Burnet County commissioners voted during the Aug. 14 regular meeting to remove the emergency declaration from the county burn ban but leave one in place. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS LLANO — Although Llano received less than an inch of rain in the past week, city officials on Aug. 14 lowered mandatory water restrictions from Stage 5 to Stage 3. Heavy rains farther west — about 4 inches in parts of Mason County — flowed down the Llano River and into Llano’s […]

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS LLANO — Rain overnight Aug. 9-10 provided a respite from a run of very hot days in the Highland Lakes. Chances are high that the rains will continue through the weekend to provide relief from worsening drought conditions. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS BURNET — Burnet County remains under a Declaration of Disaster and outdoor burn ban as hot, dry conditions continue after two major wildfires. (more…)

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  UPDATE: As of Aug. 7, the city of Llano modified its Stage 5 restrictions to allow residents to irrigate with sprinkler systems or hose-end sprinklers once per week on designated watering day from 7-10 p.m. Filling or refilling of any pools and/or hot tubs is allowed in lieu of landscape irrigation. Also, water rate […]

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS KINGSLAND — Kingsland Water Supply Corp. anticipates implementing Stage 2 of its drought management plan “within the next couple of weeks if there is not significant rain in that time period,” according to General Manager Leonard Leinfelder. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS LLANO — As inflows from the Llano River continue to decrease and water temperatures remain warm, city of Llano officials have initiated Stage 4 water restrictions as of July 31. (more…)

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BURNET — An all-terrain vehicle has been determined as the cause of the Park Road 4 fire near Inks Lake State Park, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.  (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS LLANO — City officials are asking Llano residents to double down on their water conservation efforts after entering Stage 3 restrictions in early July. Under Stage 3, daily water usage should be down to 800,000 gallons, but, according to a city of Llano media release, daily usage is at about 1 million […]

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UPDATE: As of July 10, the city of Llano has moved to Stage 3 water restrictions, triggering a series of requirements for residents as detailed in the municipality’s updated Drought Contingency Plan.   STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY LLANO — From limits on duration of landscape irrigation to prohibition of “non-essential” water usage, Llano residents could […]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS AUSTIN — A combination of high winds and lack of rain prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration for Burnet, Travis, and Williamson counties. “These drought conditions pose an imminent threat to public health, property, and the economy,” stated a media release from the governor’s office. He issued the declaration […]

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STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO KINGSLAND — To Charlie Flatten, there’s never a bad time to talk about conserving water, especially in the Highland Lakes. The Hill Country Alliance water policy program manager will present “Water 101: Water Conservation in the Texas Hill Country” at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, at the Kingsland Branch Library, 125 […]

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY BURNET —As Highland Lakes residents experience more days with triple-digit temperatures, fire officials have sent out a warning to Independence Day revelers about the potential fire danger. (more…)

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MELISSA BLAIR • SPECIAL TO DAILYTRIB.COM SPICEWOOD — Becky Sultemeier and her husband, Shelby, run a Red Brangus cattle operation on their 1,100-acre property that straddles the Travis-Blanco county line near Spicewood. The property has been in the family since the 1930s and originally belonged to Becky’s grandparents, Coke and Helen Hollingsworth, and father, Archie Hollingsworth. […]

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DANIEL CLIFTON • EDITOR BUCHANAN DAM — Lake Buchanan has experienced the spectrum of ups and downs the past several years, going from historic low inflows to four open floodgates recently, leaving people wondering, “How is Lake Buchanan doing?” (more…)

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DANIEL CLIFTON • EDITOR UPDATE: The State of the Lake program scheduled for May 17 has been postponed due to possible severe weather. It has been rescheduled for June 21. Go to www.lakebuchanancc.org for more information.   BUCHANAN DAM — A little wind made the difference in whether Lake Buchanan’s white bass population survived the […]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS BURNET — After almost two years of mandatory water restrictions, city of Burnet residents can relax a bit. On Aug. 12, the city moved to Stage 1 restrictions, which call for voluntary measures. City officials are asking residents to still conserve water. Though late spring and early summer rains helped bring up […]

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER BUCHANAN DAM — Domestic water use advocates caution that the drought remains a threat to water supplies as the peak of summer approaches, even though recent rains have boosted Lake Buchanan levels by nearly 20 feet in the past several weeks. (more…)

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER UPDATE: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality upheld an emergency order July 1 to withhold water releases from the Highland Lakes reservoirs to rice farmers downstream. PREVIOUS STORY BURNET — Interests along the upper and lower Colorado River basins are getting ready to go head to head after an emergency […]

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER HORSESHOE BAY — Persistent drought has prompted a comprehensive water conservation campaign by the city of Horseshoe Bay that includes irrigation audits with potential fines, drought-tolerant demonstration gardens and a shift in perception about landscaping needs. (more…)

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER SPICEWOOD — The history of dry spells and floods in the Highland Lakes can offer clues about whether recent flooding has eased the grip of the drought, officials say. (more…)

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CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF LLANO — Bryan Miiller remembers a time when homes along the Llano River were few and far between. “I grew up west of Llano between Llano and Mason. There used to be very few houses along the river. That’s been 40 years ago,” said Miiller, who is a Llano city […]

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