Receding river leaving less lake water

TOW VILLAGE, Texas (KXAN) - Sitting on their dock near Tow Village north of Lake Buchanan a year ago, Mike and Claire Fritz could dip their toes in the water. The Colorado River has since receded three football field lengths away.

Mike said, “Cows from across the way come across quite regularly.”

On average, about 1.2 million acre-feet of water flows into the Highland Lakes each year. So far this year though, it has been less than 170,000 acre-feet. The Lower Colorado River River Authority pointed to the streams leading into the lake chain like Sandy Creek and the Pedernales, Llano and San Saba Rivers. The river that flows all the way through, the Colorado, is becoming the biggest wilted water source.

The water near the Fritz home is so shallow, their eight grandkids could walk to the other side.
But it is also so shallow, they don’t visit much anymore.

“There’s nowhere for them to swim,” Mike said. “They used to dive off where I’m standing into the water.”

The couple bought a boat to hold the entire family, but they haven’t used it since last June.

Claire laughed, “It’s in the front yard, dry-docked.”

All work and no play, the pair must now tend to the growing back yard.

“We’ve had to keep it mowed to keep the weeds down,” said Mike

Claire sighed, “We miss the water.”

So far the amount of water flowing into the Highland Lakes is about 23% percent below the average. If the current trends continue, the area could set a new record low this year.