Lower Colorado River Authority relief request approved

AUSTIN (KXAN) - As  KXAN reported in early January , the worsening drought in central Texas forced the Lower Colorado River Authority to reconsider releasing water from the Highland Lakes for rice farming in southeast Texas.

The LCRA proposed an emergency relief request that would likely keep more water from the Highland Lakes right here in central Texas.

• Read the details of the LCRA emergency relief request

The LCRA ’s governing body, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality , held a meeting this morning to vote on the more conservative water management plan.

The order passed unanimously, making water releases for downstream agriculture unlikely this year.

“These are tough times and certainly we’re making tough decisions," TCEQ Executive Director Zak Covar said. “We’re charged with protecting firm customers in times of severe drought, so that’s where we find ourselves.”