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Lake Travis Management Plan - Community Case Study
Here is an example in which a responsible and balanced consensus process has been applied to waterway management. This management plan included all stakeholders in the process and in the end reached a decision that was accepted by all.
Lower Colorado River Authority - Lake Travis Recreation Management Plan
Background
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) prepared the Lake Travis Recreation Plan as a part of its responsibility for water quality, parks and recreation and lake surface management. The group's goal was to preserve the integrity of the lake and the quality of recreation experiences that take place on its waters. The LCRA developed specific objectives for their plan. These objectives were to improve water safety and user satisfaction, maintain and improve the lake's water quality and increase recreation access to the lake at appropriate locations.
The LCRA prepared this plan for the following reasons:
- It was responsible for water quality, park development, lake surface management, and flood control at Lake Travis.
- The public demanded additional actions on issues identified in a previous management plan.
- A Lake Travis boating recreation study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) identified several new issues.
- Demographics of the area continued to show an increasing population base with greater disposable income, suggesting increased use of Lake Travis and the need for continued planning.
Plan development
A recreational boating study was conducted by the Corps from 1994 through 1996. Information from 675 on-site and mail-back surveys from randomly selected shoreline property owners, boat slip renters, public boat ramp users and watercraft renters aided the Corps in identifying the following three public needs:
- Reducing conflicts between boats, especially in high-use areas.
- Reducing unsafe boating behavior.
- Preserving "escape coves."
Using these needs and the management actions suggested by the Corps as a starting point, LCRA's staff began a four-month public input process that included the following elements:
- Three community meetings and six stakeholder meetings to gather responses to the Corps' study findings and suggested management actions.
- Four meetings with the Lake Travis Advisory Panel to discuss staff's proposed management actions and receive the panel's recommendations.
- A work session with LCRA's board to present and discuss staff's proposed management actions.
- Three additional community meetings and four stakeholder meetings to gather responses to staff's proposed management actions.
- A briefing for the Travis County Commissioners' Court to staff's proposed management actions.
The stakeholder groups for these meetings included:
- Boating Trades Association of Texas
- Capital Area Boating Trades Association
- Lago Vista Chamber of Commerce
- Local elected officials
- Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Travis Advisory Panel
- Marina Association of Lake Travis
- Save Our Lake Coalition
- Travis County Commissioners' Court
Guidelines
While formulating the recommendations and actions for the plan, the LCRA staff adopted three planning guidelines:
- No class of watercraft would be restricted from using the lake.
- Actions requiring legislation would be submitted to the appropriate legislative committees for consideration.
- If necessary, impact statements on property "takings" would be prepared in accordance with the Texas Private Real Property Rights Preservation Act.
Issues and Actions
As a result of public and stakeholder input, six issues surfaced. Appropriate courses of action were discussed and approved by the Lake Travis Advisory Panel. These issues and the actions to be taken were:
Issue One - Law Enforcement and Public Safety Actions include:
- Preparing a law enforcement resource allocation plan
- Standardizing accident reporting procedures
- Supporting legislation to increase funding for law enforcement
- Increasing efforts to communicate important enforcement and safety issues to the public
- Continuing LCRA's 20 mile-per-hour nighttime speed "guideline"
- Executing an agreement with Travis County making LCRA responsible for the placing and maintaining hazard buoys
- Supporting all of the House Public Safety Committee's current proposals to amending the Texas Water Safety Act
Issue Two - Watercraft Noise Actions include:
- Preparing and presenting a local boat noise regulation for Lake Travis to LCRA's Board of Directors
Issue Three - Private Boat Docks Actions include:
- Developing and publicizing voluntary dock construction standards
- Inventorying private boat docks
- Assessing dock-related hazards
Issue Four - Lake Access Actions include:
- Extending boat ramps
- Developing and implementing lease guidelines and development requirements for LCRA's waterfront and underwater lands
- Developing personal watercraft and water ski parks on suitable LCRA lands
(Note: One way to help resolve overcrowding and conflicts involves the development of "special use" parks. In the LCRA plan, personal watercraft and ski boats would not be excluded from other areas of the lake or be required to use these areas.)
Issue Five - Boater Education Actions include:
- Supporting all of the House Public Safety Committee's current proposals for amending the Texas Water Safety Act
- Promoting and publicizing boater education classes at the work sites of large Austin-area employers
Issue Six - Additional Research Actions include:
- Determining the number and type of boats coming from different access points around the lake
- Resurveying lake users every three years to identify trends in use and conflicts
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