Significant rain fall in Central Texas forced the overnight opening of flood gates on two dams in the Highland Lakes.
“Flood gates are still open on Wirtz and Starcke Dams," says Lower Colorado River Authority spokesperson Clara Tuma. "And we need to emphasize that there is a lot of swift moving water moving through the lakes down to Lake Travis. So people need to take precautions to protect people and property that might be affected by that water."
Flood operations are not expected at Buchanan Dam, which forms Lake Buchanan, or Mansfield Dam, which forms Lake Travis. Still, Tuma says people should steer clear of the upper ends of Lake Travis and Lake Marble Falls, where the water is being released.
The LCRA expects Lake Travis to rise several feet over the next twenty-four hours, while Lake Buchanan is expected to rise slowly over the next several days. But even with the large rainfall totals, Lakes Travis and Buchanan is still less than 50 percent full. Central Texas gets most of its water from those lakes.
You can learn more about recent rainfall's effects on area lakes at the LCRA website.
