The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) continued flood operations Tuesday across the Highland Lakes chain, with floodgates open at multiple dams to safely move storm runoff downstream. The heightened response follows significant rainfall and inflows from the San Saba and upper Colorado rivers.
On Monday, July 14, LCRA opened a total of four floodgates at Buchanan Dam — marking the first floodgate operations at the dam since May 2019. The move was part of a coordinated effort to manage high volumes of water entering the Highland Lakes system after recent storms.
As of Tuesday morning, one floodgate remains open at Buchanan Dam, and water continues to flow over the spillway at Inks Dam, which does not have floodgates. One gate is open at Wirtz Dam, and multiple gates remain open at Starcke Dam, which helps control flows into Lake Marble Falls.
