What are the Highland Lakes?
LCRA created this chain of reservoirs on the Colorado River northwest of Austin from 1935 to 1951 to provide a stable water supply for the basin, protect Austin and downstream communities from the worst effects of Hill Country floods, and generate hydroelectric power. The two largest reservoirs, Lakes Buchanan and Travis, store and supply water to meet household, agricultural, industrial and environmental needs throughout the basin. Lake Travis is also designed with extra capacity to hold floodwaters from Hill Country storms. The four smaller lakes pass through releases from Buchanan and Travis for downstream use. Who paid for the dams and lakes? LCRA has no taxing authority. To build the dams and lakes, LCRA borrowed money from the federal government, then repaid the loans with revenues from its sales of electricity and water. The Highland Lakes generate revenue through sales of water and hydroelectricity, and this money is used to operate and maintain the dams, hydrogeneration units
