PROTECTINGTHEHIGHLANDLAKESTheCentralTexasWaterCoalitionadvocatesfor• Responsiblewatermanagementpoliciesthatminimizefirerisks,riskstodrinkingwatersupplies,andadverseeconomicimpactsresultingfromverylowlakelevels

• Equitablepricingforwatertoencourageconservationbyall

• RoutineupdatingofhydrologyandclimatologystudiesutilizedinLCRA’sWaterManagementPlan,regionalwaterplanning,andotherwatermanagementdecisions

TexasCan’tAffordtoWasteWaterIn2011duringthedrought,nearlyhalfoftheavailablewatersupplyinLakeTraviswasreleaseddownstream.Lake-areabusinessesclosed,propertieswereatincreasedfirerisk,jobswerelostandpropertyvaluesdeclined.Thatyear,duetoaflawedWaterManagementPlan,hugevolumesofwaterfromthelakeswereusedtoflooddownstreamricefields.MorewaterwaslostonitswaytothosericefieldsthantheCityofAustinsavesthroughitswaterconservationprograminayear.Since2011,theCentralTexasWaterCoalitionhasworkedtoensurethisdoesn’thappenagain.WithsignificantgrowthinTexas’population,unreliablerainfallposesarealthreattothedrinkingwatersupply,publichealthandsafety,andtheeconomy.WeatherexpertspredictmoredroughtandaTexasWaterDevelopmentBoardstudyshowslesssurfacewaterisflowinginCentralTexaswatersheds.Wecan’tcontroltherainfall,sowemustplanforthefutureandensureresponsibleandforward-thinkingmanagementoftheresourceswehaveduringfloods,drought,orournewnormal.Economiclossesfromwatersupplyshortagescanbedevastating.

WaterpricingisstillinequitableandunsustainableLCRAhasslightlyraisedthepriceofrawwatertoirrigatorsbutmoreneedstobedone.• ThepricesforrawwaterarefarlowerforirrigatorsthanFirmcustomers.Thepriceofwaterdoesn’treflectthe

replacementcost,operatingcosts,orthecostofnewsupplies.• LCRAchargesforthecanaldistributionsystemasitexistsbutdoesn’tcovercostsofimprovingthesystemto

reducelossesduringtransport.• Lowpricesdonotstimulateconservation,anddonotfundconservationprojectsornewwatersupplies.• Aweakagriculturalwaterconservationplandoesnotsetadequateconservationgoalsforirrigators,thus

missinganopportunitytosavewater.

The Central Texas Water Coalition is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization advocating for water policies that will preserve the Highland Lakes as irreplaceable natural resources supplying water for more than two million Central Texans and providing an important economic engine for the tourism industry and the State of Texas. CTWC takes a broad-based and multi-disciplinary approach that is based on applying facts, current science and best practices for water management.

Extremelylowlakelevelscause:• Largereductionsinpropertyvaluesand

associatedtaxrevenuesforourschoolsandgovernment

• Lossofrevenueforbusinessesandlostjobs• Significantincreasesinfirerisksdueto

wateraccessibilityissues•

CTWC’sMajorSuccessesinProtectingtheLakesBydesign,waterlevelsinLakesTravisandBuchananfluctuatewithchangesinweatheranddemandsforwater.CTWCiscommittedtoworkingcollaborativelywithLCRA,RegionK,TWDB,TCEQandotherstakeholderstofocusoneducation,hydrology,climatology,andconservationofourlimitedwatersupplies.Oursuccessincludes:

o HelpedSecureProtectiveEmergencyOrdersfromTCEQ:ParticipatedinsuccessfuleffortstosupportLCRA’srequeststoceaselargereleasesofwaterstoredintheHighlandLakesfrom2012-2015,theyearsofhistoricdroughtforCentralTexans.

o IncreasedWaterReleaseThresholds:The2015WaterManagementPlan(WMP)maintainsacombinedstorageinLakesTravisandBuchananabove600,000acre-feet,endedunlimitedreleasesbyLCRA,separatedreleasesintotwocrops,andinstitutionalizedthelake-leveltriggersoftheemergencyorders.

o WorkedforAccountabilityforHighlandLakesManagement:ParticipatedinLCRA’sSunsetReviewProcessgiventhegrowingimpactofLCRA’swatermanagement.TheSunsetstaffreportnotedthat“seriousquestionscontinuallyariseregardingtheadequacyofthesystemof“checksandbalances”inplaceforLCRA.Specifically,thereisaseriousquestionwhetherstatelawprovidesforadequateoversightofrawwaterratesorwhetherthetechnicalmethodologystatewaterplannersusetocalculatefuturewateravailabilityprojectionsisstillappropriate.”TheyalsofoundthatLCRAshouldimplementpoliciestoenhanceaccountability.

o PreventedMoreWaterDiversions:WorkedtostoptheproposaltobuildadamacrosstheColoradoRiverupstreamofLakeBuchanan.

o RaisedAwarenessofUnfairPricing:CTWCrecognizesthatratesplayasignificantroleinincentivizingwaterconservation.In2015LCRAestablishedaseven-yearplantophase-inhigheragriculturalinterruptiblewaterrates,establishedsurchargesforhighusage,andbeganmovingtowardafull-costrecoveryrateforoperatingdistributioncanals.However,thatplanisnolongerbeingimplementedasestablishedandmorechangesareneededtoachieveafull-costratethatisequitabletoFirmCustomers.Agriculturalinterruptibleratesshouldincorporatefairandaccurateallocationsofrivermanagementcostsandbeginchargingafairportionofsystemcapitalcosts.

o ImprovedTransparencyinWaterPlanning:SupportedlegislationrequiringallRegionalWaterPlanningGroupMeetingstobeopentothepublic.

o ParticipatedinLCRA’sprocessforthe2020WMP:ThisWMPincludesacaponthetotalamountofstoredwaterreleasedfordownstreamirrigationpurposes.Italsochangesthetriggerlevelforcuttingoffwaterforirrigatorsdownstream.TheamountofstoredwaterinLakesBuchananandTravismustnowbe1millionacre-feetratherthan900,000acre-feetbeforewaterisreleaseddownstream.

CentralTexasWaterCoalition.org CTWC is the ONLY organization dedicated to protecting the interests of the businesses and residents of the Highland

Lakes region through ongoing engagement with regulatory agencies that control water policy in Texas. CTWC continues to represent lake interests by educating the public on the need for responsible water management,

encouraging conservation, and urging citizen involvement to help protect the Lakes and our future.

HISTORYOFCTWCInMayof2010,theLowerColoradoRiverAuthority

(LCRA)appointedaWaterManagementPlanStakeholdersAdvisoryCommittee,whichconsistedof16individualsrepresentingdiverseinterests:riceproducers,environmentalists,watersupplycustomers,andtheLakes.

IndividualsrepresentingtheHighlandLakesformedCTWCin2011toprovideaunifiedvoiceforCentralTexas.

CoalitionpartnersincludeTexasresidents,businesses,affectedgovernmententities,propertyownerassociations,environmentalinterestsandconcernedcitizens.Allareunitedbytheircommitmenttoprotectourfuturethroughresponsiblewatermanagementandconservationpolicies.