LCRA votes to reduce water to rice farmers

Board members' opinions were split as to whether to continue the emergency drought order restricting the water usage to rice farmers at Wednesday's Lower Colorado River Authority meeting in Fredericksburg.

In the end, the board voted 10-4 to ask the state permission to reduce Highland Lakes water downstream, but not cut them off.

"I did what I thought was in the best interest of the entire basin," said Scott Spears, an LCRA board member.

That means rice farmers will get as much as 121,500 acre-feet of water in 2013 if the combined water storage level between both Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan fall between 775,000 and 920,000 acre feet on Jan. 1 or March 1 of next year.

But considering any water downstream during a continuing drought is outrageous said, Joe Karr Tedder of the Central Texas Water Coalition.

"This is going to throw us into a drought worse than the drought on record," said Tedder. "It is absolutely crazy."

He was not alone.

"We are completely opposed to this vote," said Janet Caylor of Lakeway, who says the decision to consider sending water downstream during this continuing drought will devastate lake area businesses.

"This will put, effectively, virtually all of the lake area businesses out of water, struggling for water and the entire economy, tourism, lake visits will drop," said Caylor. "The restaurants will continue to go bankrupt. This is a travesty."

Spears said he understands the concerns, but felt the board had to find a middle ground between all parties involved.

"I live on Lake Travis. Some of those business owners are my best friends," said Spears. "I'm doing everything I can as all the board members on this board are doing to take care of the business interests according to the law."