LCRA About to Finalize Water Plan Through 2020
The LCRA has been taking comments on its water plan. Photo by I-Hwa Cheng/KUT NewsA vote is imminent on a plan that would regulate water use from the Highland Lakes to the Gulf Coast until 2020.
The Lower Colorado River Authority heard public comment Tuesday from a wide range of people on its water management plan.
“It’s really hard for me to be speaking here today, because we are staring down the devastation of the drought of 2011,” said Janet Caylor, representing businesses on Lake Travis. “And as y’all are aware, there have already been multiple bankruptcies, loss of jobs, many are struggling to stay in business.”
Lake Travis business owners say too much water is sold at too low a price to rice farmers. But rice growers, like Billy Mann from Bay City, say their families have been farming for over 100 years and that they have a historical right to this water.
“In the future, farmers will have to grow more pounds per acre on more marginal land, it looks like with less water,” Mann said. “Can we do it? We’re going to have to, but hopefully we will have the water there for us.”
The Lower Colorado River Authority board expects to vote Wednesday on its water management plan.
As a Spicewood Beach resident, I’ve been on the web daily to learn about LCRA. KUT has become the site I check first. KUT updates throughout the day with insightful, accurate information. I’m convinced LCRA has given us facts about their management of our water only because the press has put consistent pressure on them.
Our family is doing our part – we’ve always used less than 50 gallons per person per month & paid our water bill. We danced in last week-end’s rain (5.5 inches!) Now, when we see our neighbors, we all swap information we’ve been learning about rain collection systems.
From one family in a quiet, small, rural community, as I look out on the 3 deer who just appeared in my front yard: Thank you, KUT, and kudos to Terrence Henry.