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Mansfield Dam floodgates to open Saturday for first time since 2019
KUT • • nation
Key Points:
- The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) will open at least two floodgates at Mansfield Dam on Saturday due to heavy rains filling Lake Travis to its conservation pool limit, marking the first floodgate opening at Mansfield Dam since 2019.
- Mansfield Dam forms Lake Travis, which serves as both a water supply reservoir for Austin and surrounding communities and a flood control reservoir to manage stormwater releases downstream.
- Initial floodgate openings are scheduled for 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, with an additional floodgate at Tom Miller Dam opening on Friday to facilitate downstream water flow.
- Upstream dams, Wirtz and Starcke, have already opened multiple floodgates, and while opening floodgates at Mansfield Dam is rare, the reservoir still has significant flood storage capacity beyond the conservation pool.
- The LCRA warns that increased water releases will cause faster currents and higher water levels downstream, potentially creating hazardous conditions.
