Latest news with #LakeBuchanan
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Floods force Buchanan Dam to open flood gates for first time in years
BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — One of the most important lakes in Central Texas is overflowing, forcing the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to open its flood gates for the first time in six years. On Monday, July 14, the LCRA announced that at least two flood gates at Buchanan Dam will open to prevent water from topping over the spillway. Buchanan Dam separates Lake Buchanan from Inks Lake. According to the LCRA, water will flow into Inks Lake. Inks Dam does not have flood gates and water is expected to flow over its spillway into Lake LBJ. The last time Buchanan Dam opened its flood gates was in 2019. Water from Lake Buchanan flows downstream and eventually ends in Lake Travis. That lake has returned to its average level of 666 feet for the first time in four years. Lake Buchanan is 96% full. No floodgates at Mansfield Dam, which separates Lake Travis and Lake Austin, are expected to open. Lake Travis can hold another 15 feet of water before it is considered full. Lake Travis largely reopens, caution still advised According to KXAN's Jim Spencer, the 'Sometimes Islands', small landmasses that appear when Lake Travis is low, could soon vanish beneath the waves. The islands submerge when the lake reaches 670 feet full. This is the first time Lake Travis has been this full since July 4, 2020. Currently, recreational watercraft are banned on Lake Travis as a result of recent floods. The LCRA is asking watercraft on the other Highland Lakes to navigate with extra caution due to possible debris in the water. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas flooding: How has recent rain affected local lake, creek levels?
The Brief Lake Travis has risen by 21 feet after recent rain this past weekend, but is still under the average for this time of year Lake Buchanan is up nearly 10 feet AUSTIN, Texas - FOX 7 Austin has taken a look into the local levels at a couple of lakes and creeks since the Fourth of July floods. According to the Lower Colorado River Authority, Lake Travis has risen more than 21 feet since the morning of Friday, July 4. However, it is still nearly seven feet under the average for this time of year, which goes to show just how severe a drought we have been in. Then, Lake Buchanan is up nearly 10 feet. It is projected to go up another foot or so in the next few days. The recent rain added enough water to bring the lake up to its normal levels. Sandy Creek was up roughly three feet on the Fourth of July from where it was on July 1. But it has since dropped back down. Cow Creek near Lago Vista has increased its levels by 16 feet on Saturday, July 5, around 4 a.m. Once it reached its peak, it jumped about eight feet an hour starting at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4. Creeks are measured by flow and stage, whereas lakes are by levels. The Source Information from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt
