The mood was grim among folks from Bay City, Eagle Lake and other coastal communities today as the Lower Colorado River Authority board voted 8-7 in favor of an emergency proposal that will likely cut off water to rice farmers for the third year in a row.

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Additional Information:
National Wildlife Federation/Sierra Club Written Comments to LCRA Board.
National Wildlife Federation/Sierra Club Press Statement on LCRA Board Decision

BAY CITY — More than 100 environmental advocates and fishermen along the Gulf Coast met Wednesday to discuss the uncertain future of Matagorda Bay, a major destination for tourism, recreation and commercial fishing that has  suffered greatly in recent years due to a lack of freshwater inflows from the Colorado River.

Their conclusion: Saving the bay will require tremendous political pressure on the Lower Colorado River Authority and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

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As with nearly every beloved Texas river, the 600-mile Colorado River — which flows from West Texas to the Gulf Coast — is under serious threat. Drought and surging population growth have taken their toll on the water’s flow and its wildlife and, by extension, the farmers and fishermen who rely on it.

But there is one thing about the Colorado — not to be confused with the river of the same name that flows through the Grand Canyon — that makes it unique.

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