On February 26, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved an emergency drought order that would allow the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to curtail releases of water from the Highland Lakes to downstream agricultural customers with “interruptible” contracts for 120 days, effective January 27, because of extensive drought conditions.
The Feb. 26 ruling does not set a trigger point for allowing water to flow downstream, the LCRA had requested a trigger point of a combined 1.1 million acre-feet of water to be in lakes Buchanan and Travis at that time in order for those downstream releases to commence while on Feb. 17 two state administrative law judges called for the trigger point to be set at 1.4 million acre feet.
The emergency order will expire at the end of May so TCEQ could take up the issue again this summer if LCRA re-applies for emergency drought relief.
To listen to the February 26 proceedings (second item on the agenda): http://www.texasadmin.com/cgi-bin/texas/tceq_view.cgi?name=TCEQ_OM022614&part=1
Details on the Emergency Order: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/agency/lcra-emergency-order
