LCRA to begin refilling LBJ this week
Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander
The Granite Shoals Parks Committee has been working weekends to wrap up improvements to waterfront parks around Lake LBJ. Celia Escamilla, left, and Bradley Williams, right, join Peggy Smith, city utilities manager on the last dreary Saturday morning before the refill of the lake begins, Feb. 10.
The time has come for lakefront property owners to finish their projects and pull equipment from lakebeds.
The Lower Colorado River Authority made its official announcement Monday, Jan. 6, that the six-week drawdown of lakes Austin and LBJ will end later this week.
The refill of Lake Austin will begin Thursday, Feb. 9, and the refill of Lake LBJ will begin Friday, Feb. 10. Both lakes will be back in their normal operating ranges by Monday, Feb. 13.
The lakes were drawn down for six weeks beginning Jan. 2 to give lakeside property owners an opportunity to repair and maintain docks, retaining walls and other shoreline property. The goal was to curb the growth of nuisance aquatic vegetation such as hydrilla and Eurasian watermilfoil. Lake LBJ was lowered about 4 feet, and Lake Austin was drawn down about 10 feet.
Water to refill Lake LBJ will be moved downstream from Lake Buchanan through Buchanan Dam. The water to refill Lake LBJ is equivalent to about 1.07 feet of water in Lake Buchanan.
The actual impact on lakes Travis or Buchanan could be reduced by rainfall or additional inflows to lakes LBJ or Austin, the LCRA noted.
For more information on the lake lowerings, visit lcra.org/lakelowerings.
