FloodsAfter historic Texas flooding, officials will likely open more floodgates on Central Texas dam

By Carlos Anchondo

Published 23 October 2018

Across Central Texas and the Hill Country, heavy rain has led to catastrophic flooding in the past week. With more rainfall in the forecast, state and local officials are working to manage floodwaters before they move downstream. After the wettest September in Texas history, multiple Central Texas reservoirs are completely full. That has forced officials to consider releasing a historic amount of water down the Colorado River.

Across Central Texas and the Hill Country, heavy rain has led to catastrophic flooding in the past week. A bridge over the Llano River collapsed outside Kingsland on Tuesday and waters continue to rise, with homes flooding in Kingsland, Marble Falls and Granite Shoals. With more rainfall in the forecast, state and local officials are working to manage floodwaters before they move downstream.

Eight floodgates are likely to open on the Mansfield Dam above Lake Austin as more rainfall is expected over the next few days. The Lower Colorado River Authority, which operates the Highland Lakes dams, calls the potential move “an unprecedented action.”

Officials announced Wednesday that a woman was found dead at a low water crossing in downtown Llano, the second death as a result of this week’s floods, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

“The extent of the damage from the air of the flooding in #BurnetCounty is both breathtaking, and heartbreaking,” state Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, tweeted Wednesday after surveying the flooding from a helicopter.

Along with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, Buckingham met with constituents on the ground and observed damage to homes and infrastructure. A priority for Buckingham is to determine what resources will be required to rebuild the FM 2900 bridge near Kingsland, according to her office.

In Marble Falls, 65 residential properties and two commercial properties have been damaged, according to Christina McDonald, the public information officer for the city.

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 18 counties.

Mansfield Dam, about 20 miles west of downtown Austin, is designed to hold back floodwaters and temporarily store them in Lake Travis, according to the LCRA. As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, Lake Travis measured just under 700 feet, the sixth-highest level on record. Forecasters with the U.S. Drought Monitor said September 2018 was the wettest September on Texas record.

Eight gates would be the most ever opened at one time.

“They will remain open as long as the concern of flooding remains,” said Clara Tuma, a LCRA spokeswoman.

Due to weather, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department has closed Barton Springs Pool and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Water levels in the creek are expected to rise as a result of opening additional floodgates at Mansfield Dam, the Austin American-Statesman reported.