Texas  Water  Conservation  Association  Midyear  Conference

John  HofmannLCRA  Executive  Vice  President  of  Water

June  17,  2016

What a difference a year makes

June  2016March  2015

The Highland Lakes

A shared resourceThe  Highland  Lakes  provide  water  for:

• More  than  a  million  people

• Seven  power  plants  capable  of  providing  power  to  more  than  3  million  homes

• Businesses  and  jobs

• Agriculture

• The  environment

Highland Lakes watershed

Lake  BuchananLake  Travis

Water flowing into theHighland Lakes

0

25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

175,000

200,000

225,000

250,000

275,000

300,000

325,000

350,000

375,000

400,000

425,000

January February March April May June July August September October NovemberDecember

Acre-­feet

Average  since  1942

Average  of  2011-­2015

2011

2015

2016

Record-­low inflows into the Highland Lakes

10  Lowest  Annual  Inflows  on Record2011 127,802  acre-­feet2014* 209,023  acre-­feet2013 215,138  acre-­feet2008 284,462  acre-­feet2006 285,229  acre-­feet1963 392,589  acre-­feet2012 393,163  acre-­feet1983 433,312  acre-­feet1999 448,162  acre-­feet2009 499,732  acre-­feet

*Preliminary  data

Floods

Date Comment1938 22  floodgates  opened at  Buchanan  Dam

Led to  larger  design  for  Mansfield  Dam1952 Filled  Lake  Travis  overnight

Flood of  Record  for  LBJ  and  Marble  Falls1957 Ended  the  Drought  of  Record

First time  gates  were  opened  at  Mansfield1991 Flood of  Record  for  Lake  Buchanan

Flood  of  Record  for  Lake  Travis1997 Llano River  basin  flood2004 Upper and  lower  basin  flood2007 Marble  Falls  “Rain  Bomb”

1952 floodDaily  Elevations  of  Lake  Travis

600

610

620

630

640

650

660

670

680

690

700

710

720

8/28/1952 9/27/1952 10/27/1952 11/26/1952 12/26/1952Date

Elevation  (msl)

Observed  daily  Lake  Level

681  msl  Travis  is  considered  full

619

675

Rising lake levels • In  2015:– Lake  Travis  rose  more  than  53  feet– Lake  Buchanan  rose  more  than  25  feet– Combined  storage  increased  more  than  1  million  acre-­feet

• Current  levels  compared  to  Jan.  1,  2016:– Lake  Travis  is  about  7  feet  higher– Lake  Buchanan   is  about  6  feet  higher– Combined  storage  is  up  about  260,000  acre-­feet

Full vs. full-­full

11

Two-­week rainfallWhite  boxes  show  totals  of  about  8-­15  inches

White  boxes  show  totals  of  about  8-­14+  inches

Some  areas  received  totals  of  3-­5  and  even  7+  inches

Lake Travis elevation

Crested:  692.7  feet  msl

(for  water  supply  purposes)

Feet  msl  =  feet  above  mean  sea  level

Hydromet system

• Provides  information  vital  for  flood  management

• Includes  more  than  275  gauges

• Transmits  data  every  15  minutes

• Uses  LCRA’s  radio  system

• Data  is  shared  with  partners  and  the  public

River  Operations  Control  Center

Lake Travis 1991

Buchanan DamJune 2

Our work continues …

Lake Travis won’t stay full

19

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Millions  of  acre-­feet

Sept.  30,  1940,  to  June  15,  2016

Total combined storage in lakes Buchanan and Travis

Full  storage  (2.01  million  acre-­feet)Average  storage  (1.62  million  acre-­feet)Combined  storage  (million  acre-­feet)

Questions?