LCRA TO LOWER LAKES LBJ, INKS IN EARLY 2020
| Eight-week drawdown provides opportunity for property owners to repair docks, continue flood cleanup. |
| BURNET AND LLANO COUNTIES – The Lower Colorado River Authority will lower Lake LBJ and Inks Lake for eight weeks in early 2020 to assist in continued recovery from the October 2018 floods and provide property owners an opportunity to make needed repairs on docks, retaining walls and other structures. The drawdown will take place Jan. 2-Feb. 28, 2020. During the drawdown, Lake LBJ will be lowered four feet, and Inks Lake will be lowered eight feet. LCRA cannot lower Lake LBJ more than four feet without risking interfering with operations at the Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant, a combined cycle power plant on the shores of Lake LBJ. Inks Lake was last lowered in 2018, and Lake LBJ was lowered in 2019. “LCRA normally doesn’t lower the same lake two years in a row, but we are making an exception after hearing from local officials and residents about needed repairs and maintenance resulting from the historic flooding last year,” said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of Water. In August, the Burnet County Commissioners Court requested a drawdown of Lake LBJ in 2020. In addition to assisting in flood recovery, the drawdown also provides water customers and lakeside residents an opportunity to remove debris, dredge, and repair and maintain docks, retaining walls and other shoreline property. Lowering the lakes during cold winter months also helps curb the growth of nuisance aquatic vegetation. Lake LBJ will be lowered a foot a day for four days, and will reach its fully lowered level by Jan. 5. Inks Lake will be lowered a foot a day for eight days, and will reach its fully lowered level by Jan. 9. The refill for both lakes will begin Feb. 24, and will be complete by Feb. 28. A permit is not required for dock repairs on Lake LBJ or Inks Lake during the drawdown, but all work must comply with LCRA’s Safety Standards for Residential Docks on the Highland Lakes. Maintenance, dredging, debris removal and repair work on existing retaining walls during the drawdown can be performed under LCRA’s permit with the Army Corps of Engineers, but the work must be registered with LCRA before it begins. Registration forms are available: Online at lcra.org/lakelowerings. By calling LCRA Water Quality Protection at 512-578-2324. In person at the LCRA Western Maintenance Facility, 2643 Wirtz Dam Road, Marble Falls, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Burning debris in the lakebed is not allowed. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, visit lcra.org/lakelowerings. |
| About LCRA The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit lcra.org. Media contact: Clara Tuma 512-578-3292 [email protected] |