LCRA says no South Texas rice farmers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Colorado River Authority on Tuesday dealt a blow to the rice farmers in Southeast Texas, saying only if the Highland Lakes are soaked with extraordinary rain by March could more water be sent downstream for irrigation.

We’re in the middle of a drought that could end up being the worst in recorded history,” said LCRA General Manager Becky Motal. “This drought has been painful for everyone, but LCRA is committed to protecting the water supply of the City of Austin and the other communities and major industries throughout the basin.”

The unanimous vote signaled a shift in the river authorities thinking over the past several weeks as Central Texas has remained mired in a stubborn drought and leaving reservoirs like Lake Travis far below their desired levels.

Two area lawmakers hailed the move.

"We are pleased that the LCRA Board acted today to protect the water supply for Central Texas water customers in this time of serious drought," state Sens. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Troy Fraser, R-Horeseshoe Bay, said in a joint statement. "Their action today will  provide a safeguard so that an ongoing supply of water will be available in 2013 and beyond to its firm water customers."

While the move could be viewed as good news water Central Texas water customers, the state's agriculture interests were far less enthusiastic.

"You know," rice farmer Ron Gertson said. "it's a sour pill that unfortunately we're going to have to take."

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said it highlights the need for the state to turn its attention to long-term solutions to meet the ever-expanding water needs.

“We cannot ration and restrict our way to a bigger and better Texas," Staples said after the vote. "Solutions need to be focused on water for all needs and not restrictions for something as vital as food.

“A crisis exists in Texas as our water capacity has failed to keep up with our growth. This situation has been compounded by the worst single-year drought on record. We must find a balanced solution that allows farmers to continue producing food to feed us while also providing communities with the water to sustain our families.

"We need to embrace conservation and develop new water supplies necessary to meet our growing population and increasing water demand.”

The amount of water flowing into the Highland Lakes was the lowest on record in 2011, and the fifth lowest on record in 2012. In fact, five of the 10 lowest years on record have occurred since 2006.

Lakes Travis and Buchanan, the region’s water supply reservoirs, currently are about 41 percent full, holding about 826,000 acre-feet of water.

The LCRA said the rains that soaked Central Texas on Tuesday were not near enough to persuade them to send more water downstream. It would take far more rain over a much longer period of time to merit the additional downstream flows, members said.