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TCEQ takes input on water transfer to Leander

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Charles Wood

Four Points News

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering a permit request from the Lower Colorado River Authority that would increase the amount of water it can sell to Leander from Lake Travis.

The state must approve the increase, because it involves a transfer of water from the Colorado River Basin into the Brazos River Basin.

On Tuesday, June 30, the TCEQ held a town hall meeting in Lakeway, giving the public its last chance to make official comments on the issue. TCEQ and LCRA officials also answered questions about the permit request.

The amendment would make two changes: 1) it would allow LCRA to increase the amount of water it can sell to Leander from 6,400 acre-feet to 24,000 acre-feet, and 2) it would give LCRA the right to reuse effluent from the city of Leander. The effluent would be used within the city of Leander or moved back to the Colorado River Basin.

Leander is seeking more capacity from LCRA as it pursues a water infrastructure project in cooperation with the cities of Cedar Park and Round Rock. The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority would allow the cities to divert water at up to 142 million gallons a day, which planners believe would meet the peak summer demand in 2060.

Concerns expressed at the June 30 meeting included the draw down of Lake Travis and its impact on the economy, a desire to protect the Colorado River Basin and Leander's reluctance to tap into additional sources of water.

TCEQ attorney Robin Smith said there was no longer an opportunity to request a hearing on the interbasin transfer - but 49 hearings have already been requested.

Volente Mayor Jan Yenawine was among those who spoke during the question-and-answer session. He raised the concern that the LCRA wasn't “looking at the whole picture” when it comes to water availability. He said rice farming country was becoming more residential, which will mean higher water use.

Yenawine asked of the inter-basin transfer, “Why don't you have a requirement that the water has to come back [into the Colorado River Basin] or you don't sell the water?”

James Kowis, manager of water supply planning for LCRA, said that would be a decision the LCRA board would have to make.

Judy Graci of Volente, part of the Don't Empty Lake Travis Association (DELTA), expressed concern over the falling lake levels and asked if the LCRA would be able to provide all the water it was promising.

“We have not only Lake Travis and Buchanan, we also have four downstream water rights,” said Kowis.

Graci said those were “run-of-the-river” rights. Kowis said there were inflows of water downstream from Lake Travis that the LCRA can access.

Connie Ripley, president of DELTA, raised concerns during the question-and-answer period and entered a formal set of concerns into the record. These included a concern that Leander might be requesting more water than it needs for its population growth, and more water than its citizens can pay for.

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