![]() ![]() Inflow and rainfall are uncertain, as is high priority municipal and industrial consumption. The LCRA’s challenge is to predict the amount of water available for low-priority agricultural use contracts while ensuring that municipal, industrial, and other firm water needs are met. Rapid population growth combined with limited supply has made water resource management vital to the region’s well-being. Lower priority agricultural water supply is contracted annually at the beginning of the year and is considered “interruptible.” That is, in times of low supply or drought, water use for agricultural irrigation can be interrupted. Water supply is guaranteed to the LCRA’s one million residential users, even in times of drought, through “firm” contracts with the local municipalities. #Lcra rainfall totals seriesThe LCRA manages the water it has available for sale to municipal, industrial, agricultural, and other users through a series of “water rights” permits or contracts. Of note, the LCRA operates six hydroelectric dams and owns about 16,000 acres of recreational lands, with more than 40 parks, natural science centers and nature preserves. In addition to managing the water supply and environment of the lower Colorado River basin, the LCRA plays a variety of roles in Central Texas: generating electricity, developing water and wastewater utilities, providing public recreation areas, and supporting community and economic development. In a unique partnership, Cornell University Operations Research students collaborated with the LRCA to develop a water supply model using Palisade’s software. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) manages water supplies for municipalities, farms and industries along a 600-mile stretch of the Texas Colorado River which includes the state capital Austin. Effective storage and distribution of water is a challenge in most regions, but in hot and arid Central Texas water supply affects every person, farm, and business. ![]()
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