Floodgates open to distribute runoff water into Lake Travis from Lake LBJ, Llano River

Rachel Royster, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read
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River authorities opened floodgates at Wirtz Dam and Starcke Dam early Wednesday to move storm runoff downstream into Lake Travis.

The runoff is filling Lake Lyndon B. Johnson from the Llano River, which is at flood stage in the city of Llano.

With thunderstorms already showering Austin and possible every day this week, the Lower Colorado River Authority is pushing water through two floodgates at Wirtz Dam, which forms Lake LBJ, and three at Starcke Dam, which forms Lake Marble Falls. The storm runoff flows into Lake LBJ from the Llano River, which feeds the lake on its northwestern bank.

Due to the open floodgates, flows are faster and water levels are higher than usual downstream of the dams.

When were the floodgates last open?

The Highland Lakes have not seen open floodgates since October of last year.

Boat docks are stranded on dry land at Hudson Bend on Lake Travis on April 29. At the time, Lake Travis was 38% full; as of Wednesday afternoon, the lake was 41.1% full and rising.
Boat docks are stranded on dry land at Hudson Bend on Lake Travis on April 29. At the time, Lake Travis was 38% full; as of Wednesday afternoon, the lake was 41.1% full and rising.

Is Lake Travis in a drought?

In the wake of May showers, lake levels rose and the LCRA brought drought response down to Stage 1. The water in Austin reservoirs is rising, but conservation is still necessary.

Under Stage 1, the LCRA requests customers to reduce water use by 10% and asks city, utility and industrial users to implement mandatory restrictions to curtail water use.

How do today’s levels compare with a year ago?

As of Wednesday, Lake Travis is at 41.1% capacity, only about 1 percentage point higher than July 24, 2023. The levels are rising, though. In January, Lake Travis was only 37.7% full.

The lake is considered full at 681 feet above mean sea level.

Wirtz Dam, which forms Lake LBJ, is seen on June 27, 2007, releasing excess water from flash flooding. On Wednesday, two floodgates were open at Wirtz Dam after recent rains.
Wirtz Dam, which forms Lake LBJ, is seen on June 27, 2007, releasing excess water from flash flooding. On Wednesday, two floodgates were open at Wirtz Dam after recent rains.

When was Lake Travis at its lowest?

Historically, Lake Travis was lowest on Aug. 14, 1951, when the level was at 614.18 feet above mean sea level. The lowest the lake has been in the past year was on Oct. 25, 2023, at 626.93 feet above mean sea level, which ranks as its fifth-lowest level date in history.

What was the historic high?

On Dec. 25, 1991, Lake Travis hit 710.44 feet above mean sea level. More recently, in October 2018, the lake had its fifth-highest level in history at 704.39 feet above mean sea level.

The last time Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan were full was in July 2019.

How can I monitor Austin water levels?

Those interested can visit the LCRA’s website, hydromet.lcra.org/floodstatus, to view up-to-date lake levels at the dams and to monitor gate operations.

As of 2:45 pm. Wednesday, Lake Travis was at 636.90 feet above mean sea level, a slight increase from the day before.

LCRA spokesperson Clara Tuma said projections show that Lake Travis is expected to rise to between 640 and 642 feet above mean sea level through Thursday, and she expects levels to continue to increase over the next few days.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Floodgates open to distribute runoff water into Lake Travis from LBJ