Starcke Dam floodgate open Friday as LCRA passes Llano River floodwater
Posted: Fri, 2 Oct 2026 09:33 AM - 20 Readers
By: KVUE
The Lower Colorado River Authority opened a floodgate at Starcke Dam on Lake Marble Falls on Friday morning and began gate operations at Wirtz Dam on Lake LBJ to pass floodwater from the Llano River downstream into Lake Travis. LCRA said flows below both dams will be higher and faster than usual and asked people near the river to stay alert and protect property. Some Hill Country spots have received more than 7 inches of rain since Wednesday, and more rain is expected through the weekend.
As of Friday morning, one gate was open at Wirtz and operations were underway at Starcke. Mansfield Dam on Lake Travis and Tom Miller Dam on Lake Austin were not expected to open floodgates. Lake Travis was around 675 feet, about 6 feet below its full pool of 681 feet, and was forecast to rise into the 676- to 677-foot range over the next day or two as the upstream water arrives.
