Lake Travis 2009
10-06-2009, 10:29 AM
#92
Registered
somtime this month is when they stop selling water to rice farmers for the winter . The lake will start coming back up much quicker then if rains continue. Even with this drought had we not sold water to the rice farmers during the summer the lake would only be down 10-15ft instead of 50 feet. And most of that would be from increased usage from surrounding cities, the actual evaporation rate even in 100deg summer would only account for 4-5ft of the total water loss from Buchannon and Travis. Problem is the current laws and regulations were made 50 years ago when there was much much less people living here and they were much smarter about their water usage. LCRA has already said we will see Travis go almost dry in our lifetime. Big problem is since all the other lakes are kept at a constant level (Lake Austin,Town Lake,LBJ,Inks,Marble Falls)
very few care except the boaters on Travis and Buchannon , if all the lakes in the chain were variable level like ours then there would be a whole lot more pissed off people.
__________________________________________________ _______________________
Quote:
The United States grows only 1.8% of the worlds rice crop. Texas produces a mere 8% of that U.S. total. Texas rice growers receive huge subsides from the Federal government, because it’s not viable to grow rice in Texas…
You need to understand that laws are not always good and designed to last forever, they must change with the times and circumstances. Austin had a significantly smaller population when this sweetheart deal was made back in the forties, and the LCRA nor the “laws” are taking that into consideration. For the last 3 or 4 months the LCRA has been releasing 5000cfs for at least 12 hours a day downstream, all in the middle of a horrendous drought. Many, many times the normal Colorado summer flow.that equals a 20 foot difference in Lake Travis. maybe more… Why do the Rice Fields have priority over upstream needs? Especially considering that these Rice Companies are Federally subsidized with our tax dollars. The LCRA water is ours too. The State of Florida had a very similar problem with sugar companies and water rights etc.. Florida bought them out, problem solved. My point is that if all that water had not been released it would still be in the Highland Lakes, regardless of the drought. Anybody that can’t see these simple facts, either is a corporate shill or works for the LCRA. Do your own research, all the answers can be found using Google…
Two enormous deep water intakes are planned for Lake Travis . Both intakes will be at or near the bottom of the Colorado River channel. No other intakes go so deep and withdraw so much. These intakes are being placed on the bottom for only one reason, to get the last drop of water from Lake Travis in a drought.
The Austin City Council is currently considering an enormous deep water intake, the pump station, and the water treatment plant (WTP4) into Lake Travis near the Oasis restaurant.
And on top of that, the Cities of Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock formed Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) to source Lake Travis water. This intake will have a final capacity to withdraw 142 million gallons a day (MGD) and take it to Williamson County in the Brazos River watershed—never to be returned to the Colorado River basin.
very few care except the boaters on Travis and Buchannon , if all the lakes in the chain were variable level like ours then there would be a whole lot more pissed off people.
__________________________________________________ _______________________
Quote:
The United States grows only 1.8% of the worlds rice crop. Texas produces a mere 8% of that U.S. total. Texas rice growers receive huge subsides from the Federal government, because it’s not viable to grow rice in Texas…
You need to understand that laws are not always good and designed to last forever, they must change with the times and circumstances. Austin had a significantly smaller population when this sweetheart deal was made back in the forties, and the LCRA nor the “laws” are taking that into consideration. For the last 3 or 4 months the LCRA has been releasing 5000cfs for at least 12 hours a day downstream, all in the middle of a horrendous drought. Many, many times the normal Colorado summer flow.that equals a 20 foot difference in Lake Travis. maybe more… Why do the Rice Fields have priority over upstream needs? Especially considering that these Rice Companies are Federally subsidized with our tax dollars. The LCRA water is ours too. The State of Florida had a very similar problem with sugar companies and water rights etc.. Florida bought them out, problem solved. My point is that if all that water had not been released it would still be in the Highland Lakes, regardless of the drought. Anybody that can’t see these simple facts, either is a corporate shill or works for the LCRA. Do your own research, all the answers can be found using Google…
Two enormous deep water intakes are planned for Lake Travis . Both intakes will be at or near the bottom of the Colorado River channel. No other intakes go so deep and withdraw so much. These intakes are being placed on the bottom for only one reason, to get the last drop of water from Lake Travis in a drought.
The Austin City Council is currently considering an enormous deep water intake, the pump station, and the water treatment plant (WTP4) into Lake Travis near the Oasis restaurant.
And on top of that, the Cities of Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock formed Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) to source Lake Travis water. This intake will have a final capacity to withdraw 142 million gallons a day (MGD) and take it to Williamson County in the Brazos River watershed—never to be returned to the Colorado River basin.
Last edited by HTRDLNCN; 10-06-2009 at 10:48 AM.
10-22-2009, 05:04 AM
#95
Registered
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Georgetown, TX
Posts: 1,272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good news for Travis!
Overnight rains push Wirtz, Starcke dams into floodgate operations; rise on Lake Travis expected
Rains of up to more than 8 inches in Kingsland and surrounding areas Wednesday evening and early Thursday have resulted in LCRA opening floodgates at Wirtz and Starcke dams upstream of Austin.
The floodgate operations are necessary to pass along runoff from Sandy Creek, which peaked earlier this morning at more than 5 feet above flood stage near Kingsland.
As of 3 a.m. three floodgates were fully open and one floodgate was partially open at Wirtz Dam, which forms Lake LBJ, to handle the runoff. Downstream, all 10 floodgates were open at Starcke Dam.
The dams are passing more than 100,000 cubic feet per second, which will flow into Lake Travis. North Grape Creek, a tributary to the Pedernales River above Johnson City, is discharging about 18,000 cubic feet per second, which also will flow into Lake Travis. Flows of 10,000 cfs have been reported at Hamilton Creek and 7,000 cfs at Flat Rock Creek in Marble Falls.
As of 3 a.m. the heavier rains appeared to have shifted toward western Travis County and the Austin area.
Lake Travis has risen only about a third of a foot since yesterday, but is expected to rise at more than a foot per hour later this morning as the inflows reach the lake. The duration and total amount of the rise will depend on continuing rainfall patterns. LCRA will issue a projection for the rise on Lake Travis later this morning.
Upstream, Inks Lake was about 2 feet over the spillway of Inks Dam, which has no floodgates.
No floodgate operations are expected at the other Highland Lakes dams – Buchanan, Mansfield or Tom Miller.
Rains of up to more than 8 inches in Kingsland and surrounding areas Wednesday evening and early Thursday have resulted in LCRA opening floodgates at Wirtz and Starcke dams upstream of Austin.
The floodgate operations are necessary to pass along runoff from Sandy Creek, which peaked earlier this morning at more than 5 feet above flood stage near Kingsland.
As of 3 a.m. three floodgates were fully open and one floodgate was partially open at Wirtz Dam, which forms Lake LBJ, to handle the runoff. Downstream, all 10 floodgates were open at Starcke Dam.
The dams are passing more than 100,000 cubic feet per second, which will flow into Lake Travis. North Grape Creek, a tributary to the Pedernales River above Johnson City, is discharging about 18,000 cubic feet per second, which also will flow into Lake Travis. Flows of 10,000 cfs have been reported at Hamilton Creek and 7,000 cfs at Flat Rock Creek in Marble Falls.
As of 3 a.m. the heavier rains appeared to have shifted toward western Travis County and the Austin area.
Lake Travis has risen only about a third of a foot since yesterday, but is expected to rise at more than a foot per hour later this morning as the inflows reach the lake. The duration and total amount of the rise will depend on continuing rainfall patterns. LCRA will issue a projection for the rise on Lake Travis later this morning.
Upstream, Inks Lake was about 2 feet over the spillway of Inks Dam, which has no floodgates.
No floodgate operations are expected at the other Highland Lakes dams – Buchanan, Mansfield or Tom Miller.
10-22-2009, 05:49 PM
#97
Registered
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Georgetown, TX
Posts: 1,272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Video on www.lcra.org claimed 150k+ acre feet of water fell in the highland lakes last night. Level projected to reach 644' amsl which is about 20ft below normal Oct avgs. Not there yet, but what a great kickstart.
Last edited by Griswald; 10-23-2009 at 08:37 PM.
10-23-2009, 02:12 PM
#98
Registered
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Lakeway, TX (Austin/Lake Travis) / LOTO Gravois Arm
Posts: 671
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Can we change the thread smiley to a happy face since it is filling up?
10-23-2009, 08:38 PM
#99
Registered
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Georgetown, TX
Posts: 1,272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yea. At least it has enough now I can go test. Lake Austin people hate me.
10-28-2009, 11:34 PM
#100
Registered
My ramp is back in action so I pulled boat out of the slip for some stuff,should be back on water by sunday hopefully.
best looking 26 year old $3000 boat on the lake if I do say so myself!
best looking 26 year old $3000 boat on the lake if I do say so myself!
