The Lower Colorado River Authority was created as a soil and water conservation reclamation district by the Texas Legislature in 1934. LCRA manages water supplies for cities, industries, and agriculture along a 600-mile stretch of the Texas Colorado River between San Saba County and Matagorda County. The State of Texas gives LCRA responsibility for protecting the waters within the Statuary District of the lower Colorado River basin.
LCRA Creekside Conservation Program History and Purpose
In 1990 a Sediment Reduction Study conducted by LCRA and NRCS determined that reducing suspended sediment caused by soil erosion and stormwater runoff could be a cost-effective way to lengthen the lives of the Highland Lakes of Central Texas and improve water quality of the Colorado River.
As a result of this study, LCRA began the Creekside Conservation Program, a partnership among producers, NRCS, local SWCDs, and LCRA to help participating producers implement BMPs to reduce agricultural NPS pollution within the Colorado River watershed.
The program provides education/outreach and financial incentives for projects that help conserve soil and water on privately owned land within LCRA’s statutory district and Lampasas County. Eligible counties include Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Colorado, Fayette, Lampasas, Llano, Matagorda, San Saba, Travis, and Wharton Counties.
Over the history of the program, approximately 5.4 million dollars have been used to fund conservation projects. Of this, 2.9 million dollars came from non-federal producer and LCRA match, and over 2.4 million from 319 funds.
Since its inception, the program has helped over 300 producers develop and complete management plans on over 199,000 acres of private land. For each producer project, LCRA works with NRCS to write conservation plans of operation that encompass the entire land unit (management acres), thus facilitating a holistic approach to soil and water conservation.
Water Quality Management Plans
A water quality management plan (WQMP) is a site-specific plan developed through and approved by SWCDs for agricultural or silvicultural lands. The plan includes appropriate land treatment practices, production practices, management measures, technologies or combinations thereof.
Through the Creekside Conservation Program, LCRA regularly partners with local SWCDs and NRCS. One goal of this project will be to provide WQMP related education and outreach materials to stakeholders throughout the project area.
Total Costs: $478,800 (Federal); $375,0000 (Non-Federal); $853,800 (Total)
Project Workplan: 24-03