EDITOR’S NOTE: Under the approved legislation, the law “does not require the retrofitting of any vessel that has not come equipped with an (emergency cut off switch),” according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials. A new boating law goes into effect in Texas on September 1 that requires all watercraft less than 26 feet […]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS More bad news for the Highland Lakes as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Lower Colorado River Authority confirmed that invasive zebra mussels have been found in Lake LBJ. The species was previously discovered in Lake Travis. “It is disheartening to see zebra mussels spreading higher up the chain of […]

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS Nathan Leber is all about finding the dirt on Lake Buchanan and other Texas reservoirs, or, more precisely, the dirt at the bottom. Leber, manager of the TexMesoNet and Hydrosurvey programs for the Texas Water Development Board, is in charge of a crew that’s currently surveying sedimentation in Lake Buchanan. Sedimentation […]

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Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens are prepared for an increase in boat traffic this July 4 holiday weekend as they take part in Operation Dry Water. The operation is a national boating while intoxicated awareness and enforcement campaign that takes place July 5-7. These law enforcement efforts are one of a number of […]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS The Lower Colorado River Authority began moving water downstream from a very full Lake Buchanan early June 5. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and boating season. And law enforcement agencies are expecting a number of people to take advantage of the three-day weekend for fun on the Highland Lakes. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO Lakes LBJ, Buchanan, Inks, and Marble Falls are zebra mussel-free, and city and county officials want to keep it that. (more…)

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  CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story included incomplete numbers attributed to Kelly Payne. The LCRA recorded a flow of 375,000 cubic-feet per second coming into the Highland Lakes, and 25,000 cfs leaving the lakes, not 375 and 25 as written.  STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS A report on the Lower Colorado River Authority’s flood […]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS The Lower Colorado River Authority will lower lakes LBJ and Marble Falls starting Dec. 30 for about eight weeks to assist lakeside property owners recovering from recent historic flooding along the Colorado and Llano rivers. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS Lakes LBJ, Marble Falls, and Travis as well as Inks Lake will not open for public use until at least Friday, Nov. 2, said Lower Colorado River Authority officials Oct. 30. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS The Lower Colorado River Authority is reminding Highland Lakes residents that though Llano River flows have decreased since early Tuesday, Oct. 16, flood operations are still underway throughout the chain of lakes. (more…)

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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 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT AUSTIN – As sunny days and warm weather kick off spring boating season, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s inland fisheries and law enforcement staffs are urging boaters to fight back against aquatic invasive species that threaten Texas lakes. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS BURNET — Inks Lake shoreline property owners will have a chance to maintain and repair docks and retaining walls as well as curb the growth of aquatic nuisance plants during an upcoming waterway drawdown, according to a Lower Colorado River Authority news release. (more…)

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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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EDITOR DANIEL CLIFTON LAKE TRAVIS — One measures less than an inch, but when they mass together, these invasive creatures can cause big damage. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials confirmed zebra mussels have invaded Lake Travis. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS MARBLE FALLS — With the spring months traditionally among the wettest of the year for the Highland Lakes, the Lower Colorado River Authority is encouraging residents to sign up for free notifications of LCRA flood operations. (more…)

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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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FROM STAFF REPORTS MARBLE FALLS — After a week of no recreational boating on the Highland Lakes, the Lower Colorado River Authority is reopening four lakes at noon June 10. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS MARBLE FALLS — With heavy rains falling early June 2 in the Highland Lakes watershed, Lower Colorado River Authority officials temporarily closed Lake LBJ, Inks Lake and Lake Marble Falls to recreational boating as of 11:25 a.m. that same day. The LCRA later closed Lake Travis. (more…)

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER MARBLE FALLS — Lower Colorado River Authority officials launched floodgate operations and closed portions of the Highland Lakes to recreational traffic May 31 because of increased flows caused by stormwater runoff. (more…)

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Spring Break is fast approaching. Are you prepared? In the Highland Lakes there is fun for everyone to fill a week. Check out 101HighlandLakes.com for 10 ways to spend Spring Break in the Highland Lakes. READ MORE

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER AUSTIN —  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality unanimously approved a revised Water Management Plan on Nov. 4 that keeps more water in the Highland Lakes and uses updated drought data to manage releases downstream. (more…)

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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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MARBLE FALLS — With fireworks displays illuminating the skies over lakes Marble Falls and LBJ on July 4, plenty of folks plan to get the best seats in the house — on their boats. But this means added boat traffic at night when water travel is more dangerous. (more…)

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