The Highland Lakes are a staircase. Seven bodies of water bring the Colorado River down six hundred feet into Austin. Five are held constant, and Buchanan and Travis account for all water storage, rising and falling by design.
One acre-foot ≈ 325,851 gallons.
These are pass-through lakes: LCRA holds them at their normal level year-round, so "how full is it" is only interesting when floodwater is moving through.
| Lake | Now | Normal | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inks Lake (Inks Dam) | 887.1 ft | 887.7 ft | normal |
| Lake LBJ (Wirtz Dam) | 824.7 ft | 825.0 ft | normal |
| Lake Marble Falls (Starcke Dam) | 736.4 ft | 737.0 ft | normal |
| Lake Austin (Tom Miller Dam) | 492.4 ft | 492.8 ft | normal |
| Lady Bird Lake (Longhorn Dam) | 428.5 ft | 428.6 ft | normal |