Posted: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:57 AM - 10,820 Readers

By: Lisa Birkman

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) has issued mandatory watering restrictions in another sign that the drought conditions are worsening. Since the city of Cedar Park is a water customer of the LCRA, they have also issued mandatory restrictions, which limit outdoor watering, filling swimming pools, washing vehicles and such to twice a week during evening and early morning hours on designated days. The city of Liberty Hill has issued a complete ban on outside watering. Over two hundred water providers in Texas are now under mandatory restrictions, and 77 of Texas’ 254 counties are in the most severe drought condition.

Lake levels have also continued to fall. According to the LCRA, “as of Friday afternoon, the level of Lake Buchanan was at 995.41 feet msl, which is around 17.7 feet below its historic average for August. Lake Travis was at 634.48 feet msl, which is over 31.8 feet below its historic August average level. These lower lake levels reflect the ongoing rainfall deficit that began in the fall of 2007.” The low lake level on Lake Travis forced Travis County officials to close the boat dock on Mansfield Dam on Wednesday.


I recently spent some time at Lake Buchanan on a church retreat, where the entire finger of the lake in front of the Thunderbird Resort was a large, dry ditch, which has already filled with vegetation. It was truly an incredible sight. It was also very disheartening to see the economic effect on local businesses such as bait stores, fishing guides, and other lakeside businesses.
Without significant rainfall soon, further water restrictions are most likely to be implemented soon and lakeside businesses are likely to continue to suffer.