Bay City Tribune

Rice farmers got encouraging news about LCRA irrigation water for their first crop in 2010 and possibly the second crop in meetings last week in Matagorda, Wharton and Colorado counties.

The way recent rains have replenished the levels in LCRA's two storage lakes Buchanan and Travis may mean that LCRA can provide water to farm about the same number of acres in the first crop in 2010 that was available in 2009, said Kyle Jensen, LCRA manager of water operations.

If the storage level at Buchanan and Travis is above 1.4 million acre feet next July it's now a little over 1.1 million Jensen is optimistic LCRA water could be available for the second crop.

If the level falls below 1.4 million, some water still could be made available for the second crop.

That's what Jensen told LCRA irrigation water customers in three meetings in Bay City, Wharton County and Garwood Thursday and Friday, Dec. 3-4.

By contrast, Jensen and other LCRA officials told rice farmers as recently as a few weeks ago that irrigation water for the first crop could be curtailed and possibly none for a second crop because Texas' severe drought conditions had significantly lowered the lake levels.

Asked if last week's meetings left farmers more upbeat, Jensen agreed that his message "was good news for folks."

"I was sure happy to paint a better picture," Jensen said Tuesday.

"I've been talking with (water) customers for 20 years," he added, saying many of them were longtime friends.

"It hurts me to give them bad news."

The water operations manager points out that the LCRA board has the final say on irrigation water contracts with rice farmers and it will decide on allocation procedures under curtailment at its meeting next week.

The levels at Buchanan and Travis are at 56 percent capacity now, Jensen said, "so we're not out of the woods yet." The lakes' level got as low as 39 percent, which is 789,000 acre feet of storage, before the recent spate of rains.

In determining the second crop next year, Jensen and other LCRA officials will "look at the entirety of the situation," including the lake storage levels, weather patterns and how much water was used on the first crop.

"I'm hopeful for the second crop," he said.

Irrigation water for the first crop runs from March to Aug. 15, while the second crop water is available from Aug. 15 to Oct. 15.

"We will continue to work with our customers in finalizing the decision on how many acres will be made available for the first crop and a decision on the second crop will be made in the spring."