Real Estate, Building in the Lake travis Floodplain


by SAM CHAPMAN - Date: 2008-10-16 - Word Count: 959 Share This!

If you are considering building on Lake Travis and probably on many other lakes, there are some things you need to know. Lake Travis is west of downtown Austin, Texas around 45 minutes. Everything in this article will be specific to Lake Travis, but it may provide some things to think about for anyone building on any lake.

The first thing a buyer of Lake Travis waterfront property needs to learn about is the floodplain. The full level of Lake Travis is 681 feet above sea level. The floodplain is at 722 feet. Why the huge difference? Lake Travis rises and falls depending on rain and on water use. Lake Travis is the main flood control lake of the Highland Lakes and it is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The LCRA has obligations to release water downstream because of water contracts. At times without rain, the lake will drop. When we get too much rain, the LCRA holds it back in Lake Travis to minimize or prevent downstream flooding.

OK, so the level of Lake Travis can change. What does that have to do with building on lakefront property? With the floodplain at 722 feet, the requirement for building is that the first occupied floor of a house needs to be at 723 feet or higher. So the first thing you need to know is the elevation of the lot - the whole lot - and the location of the floodplain if part of the lot is in it. Most lots on Lake Travis slope and the slope can be gentle or it can be very steep. If the lot is low to begin with, you probably want to build as close to toe highest level of the lot as possible.

Some lots are obviously very much in the floodplain. Many of the houses will be built on stilts. Some leave the area under the house open. The builder of other houses enclose large garages under much of the house with brick or stone.

Many of these houses will have multiple flights of stairs. Others will install ramps. You may be wondering about an elevator instead of stairs or a ramp. My thought is that this is just one more mechanical system that will be damaged when the water rises and an elevator would probably be pretty expensive to replace or repair.

Other things to think about that get more detailed are the septic system, the location of air conditioning compressor, a propane tank if you will have gas, the electrical service panel (breaker box) and water system equipment if not on city or other private water. To minimize damage, these items should be elevated. Lake Travis has been above 700 feet three times and above 690 four times since 1990. As the lake has never been higher than 711 feet, placing these at 715 feet or higher would probably fine, but there would still be some risk.

Many of the available lots you will find with frontage on Lake Travis will not have public water or sewer. Septic systems are quite common. There are two types you can install. If there is sufficient room, a gravity system can be used. These septic systems have next to nothing mechanically so they are less susceptible to damage by flood waters. Aerobic septic systems have many mechanical parts. Aerobic systems are generally installed when there is less room for a large underground septic drain field.

Here is the problem with a septic system: when the lake floods, the septic tank cannot function properly. If it is an aerobic system, the electricity will not be working and the equipment will not work. If it is a gravity system, the tank won't be able to drain. In other words, when the lake floods and your system is under water, you can't count on using plumbing. This may be fine if you have a weekend house, but what about living there full time. When Lake Travis floods, the water usually is back down in a week or so, but even being unable to use a house for a week may be a problem.

The LCRA has specific rules about locations of septic systems. The basic rule is that the lowest point of the septic drain field must be at the elevation of 691 feet or higher. In some cases a holding tank might be lower than this, but the effluent would need to be pumped to a higher drain field and this would require a variance from the LCRA. So once again, you need to know the elevation of the entire lot in order to know if a septic system can even be installed.

Regarding water, if the lot you are looking at does not have some sort of municipal water supply, you will need a well or to draw water out of the lake. The LCRA does allow pumping water from Lake Travis for household use and landscaping, but you need a contract with the LCRA to do that. You will also need a holding tank and purification equipment. All of this should also be placed at a high enough elevation so none of the equipment is within easy reach of floodwaters.

So getting back to building on a Lake Travis waterfront lot, there are things you need to know before going out and looking at lots. If you work with a Lake Travis REALTORÂ(r), he or she should be able to provide guidance in these areas.

Sam Chapman is a Lake Travis REALTOR who has lived and worked in the Lake Travis area since 1988. Sam enjoys helping people buy or sell Lake Travis waterfront homes, helping people who are moving to Austin and he enjoys volunteering in the community.


Related Tags: austin, lake travis, lake travis floodplain, lcra

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