Environment and Education
 
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LCRA and environmental leadership
WATER POLLUTION HOTLINE

To report water pollution concerns in the lower Colorado River basin, call LCRA's pollution complaint hotline at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 6843.

Lake Cleanup

This car was pulled from Lake Travis during a cleanup organized by LCRA.

Since its founding in 1934, environmental leadership and protection have been central to LCRA's mission — encompassing how it manages water sources, provides reliable energy services and spearheads the conservation of natural areas.

The soaring population of Central Texas — among the fastest-growing regions in the United States — strains regional air quality, water quality and natural resources. LCRA takes an active role in addressing these and other environmental issues and in planning for increasingly more stringent state and federal environmental policies.

Its management and staff are directed by LCRA's enabling legislation, bylaws and Board policies, including an environmental leadership directive. As a regional entity, LCRA is positioned to bring together stakeholders such as state regulators, members of the public, plus community, business and industry leaders to address environmental issues.

Read more about how LCRA demonstrates environmental leadership on related Web pages:

  • LCRA was the first river authority in Texas to adopt a nonpoint-source pollution water quality protection ordinance, and continues to be the only river authority with this type of program. LCRA also monitors illegal dumping and supports household hazardous waste cleanups and private landowners' conservation improvements.
  • LCRA routinely gathers and analyzes scientific data on water quality in the Colorado River basin and is developing advanced computer models to better understand water quality concerns.
  • LCRA played a critical role in building the state's first commercial wind power plant. Its hydroelectric generation units and wind power contracts make it the largest public renewable energy supplier in Texas. LCRA also has committed millions of dollars to further improve the already low emissions of its power plants.
  • LCRA promotes water and energy conservation through water contracts, wholesale electric customer services, and educational programs. LCRA also has adopted energy and water conservation standards for its facilities.
  • LCRA helps communities improve their water and wastewater systems, in some cases buying substandard wastewater treatment plants and upgrading them to meet state environmental standards and demands from population growth.
  • LCRA provides natural science programs for schoolchildren and adults.
  • As an employer, LCRA is taking part in discussions at the state, regional and local levels on employee incentives and policies that could improve regional air quality, such as carpooling, flexible work hours, hybrid-fuel company vehicles, and green building and purchasing initiatives.

If you have environmental questions or concerns, LCRA wants to hear from you. Contact Sherri Kuhl, manager of environmental leadership, at environmental@lcra.org.

To report water pollution concerns in the lower Colorado River basin, call LCRA's pollution complaint hotline at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 6843.

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by the numbers

2,500
LCRA has dedicated more than 2,500 acres to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, land in western Travis County designed to protect endangered species and their habitat.

90 percent
LCRA and Austin Energy committed to reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from units 1 and 2 at its Fayette Power Project by more than 90 percent and plantwide nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by about 50 percent by 2010. LCRA can meet these stricter emissions guidelines after developing a first-of-its-kind flexible air quality permit.

$8.2 million
To more effectively manage the river, LCRA has earmarked $8.2 million on a 10-year program to develop water quality computer models of the Colorado River watershed, including its tributaries and lakes.