The heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding Central Texas faced a few weeks ago broke records and served as an important reminder about the connection between land and water.
After experiencing one of the wettest Septembers on the state’s record, followed by catastrophic flooding from the Llano River, Lake Travis — designed to hold back floodwaters for the City of Austin and its downstream communities — reached its highest level since 1997, forcing the Lower Colorado River Authority to open four floodgates at Mansfield Dam.
The resulting floodwater, filled with mud and debris, overwhelmed water treatment plants and prompted Austin Water to issue a citywide boil water alert on October 22 for the first time in its history.
These events shed light on an easily forgotten fact: The quality of our water supply is inextricably linked to the health of our watersheds.
Read more from Anna Huff on TribTalk – a publication of The Texas Tribune.
Making the connection: Watersheds and our water supplies
