Elevation of Lake Travis increases 4 feet to 650 feet
Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 03:10 PM
From the LCRA:
AUSTIN * Recent rains increased Lake Travis more than 4 feet to 650 feet above mean sea level (msl) — the first time the lake has topped 650 feet since August 2006.
Lake Travis* level is forecast to continue to rise slightly, especially if the area receives another round of showers. Water also continues to pass through smaller lakes — Inks, LBJ and Marble Falls — and from the Pedernales River into Lake Travis.
Lakes Travis and Buchanan are the basin’s two major water supply reservoirs. To date, the rains have added more than 50,000 acre-feet (or more than 15 billion gallons) of water to Travis, enough to supply the city of Austin for about one-third of a year. Additional rains later today and on Wednesday could increase that amount.
However, Lake Travis is forecast to remain far below its historical average for March of 671.51 feet above msl. The recent rains have had little impact on increasing the level of Lake Buchanan, which stands at 998.397 feet above msl.
Downstream of Austin, a bulge of runoff is moving down the river. Key river forecasts issued by the National Weather Service, subject to change, include:
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The level of the Colorado River near Smithville is 13.15 feet and falling this morning. It crested at 15.69 feet late Monday, above its 10-foot bank-full stage; flood stage is 20 feet. (Bank-full stage is the category below flood stage at which the river will not overflow its banks or cause significant damage.)
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At La Grange, the river is at 19.17 feet, just above its bank-full stage. It is forecast to crest this afternoon at about 20 feet, below its flood stage of 26 feet.
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At Columbus, the river is at 16.45 feet and rising. It was last forecast to crest near 24 feet Wednesday morning; flood stage is 34 feet.
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At Wharton, the river is at 9.25 feet; it is forecast to crest at nearly 25 feet on Thursday morning; flood stage is 39 feet.
During the past two days, some areas of the lower Colorado River basin received more than 6 inches of rain (including Marble Falls, Dripping Springs). As a result, LCRA opened floodgates at Wirtz and Starcke dams late Sunday and early Monday morning to pass floodwaters. The floodgates were closed late Monday morning as rains moved out of the area. However, LCRA meteorologist Bob Rose forecasts parts of Central Texas will receive possibly heavy rain again today, potentially causing flash flooding. Heavy runoff may occur because the ground is saturated. The chance for rain will taper off Wednesday and the region should have sunny skies starting Thursday.
Lake area residents should monitor weather forecasts and remain alert, securing boat docks and other low-lying property, as conditions can change rapidly and may require additional floodgate operations.
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