In a recent meeting, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) delayed the decision on emergency drought powers for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The state agency referred the issue to an administrative law judge, who must deliver a recommendation by Feb. 21.
Debate and public comment centers on the proposed emergency plan that states the LCRA would withhold water releases downstream to rice farmers and Matagorda Bay until the Highland Lakes rise to more than 50 percent of their capacity.
The proposed plan is opposed by downstream users—including rice farmers and fisherman along the Gulf Coast–while upstream users in Austin and other Central Texas communities support it, according to the Texas Tribune.