Posted: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 03:41 PM - 11,526 Readers

By: Tara Brolley

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) opened multiple floodgates at Wirtz Dam on Lake LBJ and Starcke Dam on Lake Marble Falls Thursday night. The controlled releases began around 8:32 p.m. to manage rising water levels in the lakes amid heavy rainfall and high river flows across the Colorado River basin.

LCRA urged residents to take precautions to protect people and property near the affected waterways. No floodgate operations are currently planned at other major dams including Buchanan, Mansfield, Miller, or Bastrop, and Inks Dam is not expected to see spillway flow. Teams continue monitoring conditions, particularly on the Pedernales River, which reached its highest level since 1979.