AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lake Buchanan has reached a water level of 1020 feet for the first time since March 2005, an amount that is now considered full, but has not always been the case.
This week, the Lake Buchanan flood gates were opened as a result of the devastating floods that hit Central Texas. The dumping of water from the lake has restricted it from reaching 1020 feet, but now that less water is being released, the water level has been allowed to gradually rise to 100% full.
This marks the first time that Lake Buchanan has hit the 1020-foot mark since March 2005. The lake, however, was last considered full in 2019 when the water levels reached 1018 feet.
This coincides with the last time the flood gates were open at Lake Buchanan, ensuring the water levels did not exceed the maximum level for that time.
An old agreement with FEMA required the Lower Colorado River Authority to maintain a level of at or below 1018 feet mean sea level (msl) during the more flood-prone months of May to October. The LCRA, however, completed a $51.1 million renovation project to Buchanan Dam in 2021 that made for a more efficient floodgate system. The new system also allows the LCRA to respond more quickly to flooding.
With this improvement, the LCRA began discussions with FEMA to raise Lake Buchanan to a level of 1020 feet msl. Since then, an agreement was reached as the LCRA now maintains the lake level at or below 1020 feet msl.