Llano River

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Several new features – including a retaining wall, boat slips, a new boat ramp and pay station – are taking shape as work continues at the formerly flood-ravaged Kingsland Community Park, officials said.

The Kingsland/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce, the park's trustee, is overseeing the work being done at the venue at 710 Williams St. on the Llano River arm of Lake LBJ. The park provides the sole public waterway access point for the lake in Kingsland and also features an open-air pavilion and community room.

By Kevin Naumann
HLCN Executive Director

October 16^th marked one year since the Highland Lakes Floods of 2018.

We celebrated ‘House Blessings’ this week with two individuals as they were officially welcomed back home after completion of repairs from flood damage.

This makes five Home Blessings and one Vehicle Blessing we have completed in the last couple of months.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

One year after a historic flood event devastated the Highland Lakes area, the community has not forgotten what happened that fateful day — Oct. 16, 2018.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

A private-public partnership between the city of Llano and a mining company has resulted in the removal of several tons of river sand from two lakes in the community, increasing domestic water storage capacity.

On Sept. 27, Llano officials said they welcomed the continuation of a 10-year dredging contract with Collier Materials through 2025 due to the success of the project, which involves the company mining river sand and paying the city to take it away.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

City officials have proposed an 8 percent increase in the water and wastewater rates for residents due to a decrease in post flood water usage connected to aftermath restrictions as well as a reduction in water use tied to smart meters.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

When the RM 2900 Bridge in Kingsland washed away on Oct. 16, 2018, teachers at the Marble Falls STEAM Academy found inspiration for a real-world assignment that hit close to home.

Special to The Highlander

After finding more than 18 species of fish during a recent sampling trip on the Llano River, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries staff are encouraged to see fish populations rebounding following historic flooding in October 2018.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

The spirit of adventure can motivate people to do extraordinary things. For Ethan West, it was his motivation to kayak to the Gulf of Mexico.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls-based developer and lawyer Steve Hurst says he has witnessed a few missteps by city governments in planning and preparing for development in flood prone areas.

“I've watched this for years, representing clients in and around Austin and this area. I've lived on Lake Travis, Inks Lake, and I've had property on Lake Marble Falls,” Hurst said. “Shoal Creek and Waller Creek in Austin – the millions of dollars the city of Austin is having to spend right now in those flood plains.

“Development continued, but the cost of remediation and the damage to properties when those flood events occurred was stunning, and they're still spending money trying to address it,” he added. “We're not learning those lessons.”

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer
 

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has ordered the city of Marble Falls to alert all residents today (Oct. 17) to boil water for consumption, following flooding of several neighborhoods due to stormwater runoff making its way into the Highland Lakes from the Llano River in the last 24 hours.

The Marble Falls Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC) issued the alert, “Due to conditions which indicate that the potability of the drinking water supply has been compromised as a result of recent flooding.”