Local
Leander moves to press water district for answers on Lakewood Park’s shrunken lake
Leander City Council authorized a public-records request and is seeking support from other property owners to restore Lakewood Park’s lake to its historic level. The roughly 4-foot drop has left the park’s kayak launch and fishing pier unusable, city officials say.
Leander officials are seeking records and an explanation from the Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District after the water level at Lakewood Park fell by about 4 feet and did not return to its former height.
The City Council approved a resolution Oct. 1 authorizing staff to file an open-records request with the district, which controls the dam. The resolution also supports raising the lake to its previous level. City Manager Todd Parton said the city would contact other landowners around the lake; their agreement would be needed for a formal request to restore the water to 877 feet.
Residents began contacting the city in September 2025 about the falling level, Parton said. The district initially told city staff that lowering the lake was necessary for dam maintenance and that it would refill afterward. It did not, he said.
The district later said it found that the dam had been improperly modified to cover port drains, creating artificially high lake levels. It reported lowering the water from 876.2 feet to 872.8 feet. Parton said the district also described an unauthorized change to the intake structure that blocked low-flow ports, but the city has not received evidence supporting that explanation.
The city received about 4,000 documents in response to an initial information request, Parton said. A follow-up request submitted June 18 with additional questions had not been answered, he said. The resolution clears the way for a formal public-records request, which staff expected to submit within one or two weeks.
The lake’s lower level has affected park access and recreation. The kayak launch and fishing pier were designed for a water elevation near 877 feet, according to Parton, and are unusable at the current level. Michael Wilson, a Leander resident for 23 years, said the exposed shoreline includes an island that is usually underwater and that activity on the lake has declined. A kayak rental business at the park has closed because it can no longer reach the water, he said.
Parton said the city wants to understand whether a policy change, changed reservoir conditions or another reason explains why the lake has not refilled, so officials can share accurate information with residents and explore possible solutions. The district did not respond to a request for comment about its decision to lower the water or whether it would consider restoring the lake level.