Llano River#2018 Flood
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Llano River
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| image = Llano River Bluffs 2005.jpg
| image_caption = Sandstone bluffs along the Llano River, Mason County
| image_size = 300
| map = Llano_Watershed.png
| map_size = 300
| map_caption = Map of the Llano River and associated watershed
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| pushpin_map_size = 300
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = United States
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = Texas
| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = Edwards Plateau
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| length = {{convert|169|km|mi|abbr=on}}
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| source1 = Confluence of North and South Llano
| source1_location = Junction, Edwards Plateau
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|30|29|33|N|099|45|22|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|827|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth = Colorado River
| mouth_location = Kingsland, Texas Hill Country
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|30|39|19|N|98|25|46|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|252|m|abbr=on}}
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The Llano River ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|æ|n|oʊ}} {{respell|LAN|oh}}) is a tributary of the Colorado River, about {{convert|105|mi|km}} long, in Texas in the United States.{{Handbook of Texas|id=rnl11|name=Llano River}} It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin.
Two spring-fed tributaries, the North and South Llano, stretch across the otherwise arid lands of West Texas before merging just east of the small town of Junction, in Kimble County, forming the head of the Llano River proper. The Llano River runs generally east-northeast through the rolling limestone terrain of the Edwards Plateau as it flows through Kimble County and across rural Mason County, passing to the south of the town of Mason, Texas. Continuing in an easterly direction, the river carves its way through the Llano Uplift, a roughly circular geologic dome of Precambrian rock, primarily granite, located in Central Texas.{{cite web | url=http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rmr/llano.html | title=The Llano Uplift | work=Rob's Granite Page | access-date=2010-04-27 | author=Wilkes, R. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608053934/http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Ermr/llano.html | archive-date=2010-06-08 | url-status=dead }} Flowing through Llano County, the river passes to the north of Enchanted Rock and flows through the town of Llano, Texas. Northeast of Llano, it turns sharply to the southeast, joining the Colorado from the northwest as an arm of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, about {{convert|15|mi|km}} southeast of Llano at Kingsland.
This river is one of the few popular fly fishing destinations in the state of Texas, and contains Guadalupe bass, the state fish of Texas. The Llano also contains largemouth bass, Longnose gar, Spotted gar, and various sunfish.{{Cite web|url=https://www.expedition-outfitters.net/id6.html|title=Fly Fishing the Llano River|website=www.expedition-outfitters.net}}
The river is also associated with the legend of the Los Almagres Mine. Translated from Spanish, almagre means red ochre. In 1756, the lieutenant-general of Texas (then still a province of New Spain), Don Bernardo de Miranda, launched an expedition from San Fernando (San Antonio), to ascertain whether rumors of rich mineral deposits to the north were true. As the legend goes, Miranda came across a cave in the side of a hill in the vicinity of the Rio de las Chanas (Llano River), and reported astounding quantities of silver to be found within.{{Cite book|last=Dobie|first=J. Frank|title=Coronado's Children|publisher=University of Texas Press|year=1978|isbn=978-0-292-71052-8|location=Austin, Texas|pages=4}}
File:Llano River seen from County Road 320, Kimble County, Texas, USA (17 April 2015).jpg
2018 Flood
On October 9, 2018, a cold front swept through the hill country where it encountered the remnants of Hurricane Sergio. Mason County saw 10" of rain and Lake Travis saw a 3' rise.{{cite web | url=https://www.kxan.com/weather/a-look-back-2-year-anniversary-of-2018-llano-river-flood/ | title=A look back: 2-year anniversary of 2018 Llano River Flood | date=16 October 2020 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/the-llano-river-is-flooding-heres-what-we-know-so-far/269-602261747 | title=The Llano River is flooding: Here's what we know so far | date=October 8, 2018 }} In Junction, Texas, the flow rate increased from its normal rate of 111 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 118,000 cfs.{{cite web | url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/outdoors/article/Heavy-rains-wreaking-havoc-on-October-s-usual-13299572.php | title=Heavy rains wreaking havoc on October's usual outdoors attractions | date=11 October 2018 }}
Less than a week later the remnants of Hurricane Willa rolled into the area, followed by another front, on October 16, 2018. Upwards of a foot of rain fell in Llano, Texas. The flow rate of the Llano River, in Llano, had increased from its normal rate of 150 cfs to 275,000 cfs. The river crested at 39.9 feet, its highest level in more than 80 years and just 1.5 feet below its record high of 41.5 ft, set in 1935. The high flow rate caused the RM 2900 bridge in Kingsland to collapse{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/article/weather/llano-river-flood-of-october-2018-kingsland-fm2900-bridge/269-5aa39110-6ed7-46f0-9ab8-b71e78a091f4 | title=The KVUE backstory: Remembering the Llano River flood of October 2018 | date=17 October 2020 }} and what used to be a two-minute drive across town became a 40-50 minute drive.{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/kingsland-bridge-collapse-one-year-later/269-7a75c90e-a506-47a9-af0a-a9c54d8cf170 | title=1 year ago, the Kingsland bridge collapsed and was washed away in Llano floodwaters | date=16 October 2019 }}
The flooding was so intense that the Colorado River began to flow backwards briefly.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2018/10/16/severe-flooding-central-texas-causes-bridge-collapse-least-one-death/ |title=Severe flooding in central Texas causes bridge to collapse and at least one death |date=2018-10-17 |orig-date=2018-10-16 |author1=Jason Samenow |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}{{WaPoCheckDates}}
The flood waters entered into the Colorado River and flood gates on every dam on the Texas Highland Lakes were opened.{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/as-lake-travis-rises-heres-a-look-at-how-water-flows-through-the-highland-lakes/269-604588940 | title=As Lake Travis rises, here's a look at how water flows through the Highland Lakes | date=October 15, 2018 }} Lake Travis rose 25 feet in 24 hours and water flowed into it at a rate of 375,000 cfs.{{cite web | url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2018/11/15/how-lcra-managed-october-flooding/8368296007/ | title=How LCRA managed October flooding }} The flooding raised the turbidity of City of Austin's water supply (which is sourced exclusively from the Colorado River{{cite web | url=https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/why-austin-has-had-3-citywide-boil-notices-in-4-years-but-san-antonio-hasnt-had-any/ | title=Why Austin has had 3 citywide boil notices in 4 years, but San Antonio hasn't had any | date=9 February 2022 }}) to untenable levels, forcing the city to issue a seven-day boil water notice{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-boil-water-2018-report/269-409da868-0d92-4a9b-b8b7-5b1c9e167cb4 | title=A year later: Lessons learned from Austin's boil water notice | date=5 October 2019 }}[https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/pio/document.cfm?id=328707 Archived copy] {{webarchive|date=February 21, 2021|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221042934/https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/pio/document.cfm?id=328707}}
By December 2018 payments under the National Flood Insurance Program had exceeded $22 million {{cite web | url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2018/12/14/512221.htm | title=ICT: Central Texas October Flood Insured Losses Top $22M, So Far | date=14 December 2018 }}
In the end, two people died as a result of the floods.{{cite web | url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/16/us/texas-llano-river-flooding/index.html | title=A 2nd victim has died in the Texas flooding, but the Llano River is going down | website=CNN | date=16 October 2018 }} The RM 2900 bridge in Kingsland was rebuilt less than a year later.{{cite web | url=https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/austin/rm2900-kingsland-bridge-replacement.html | title=RM 2900 Bridge Replacement in Kingsland }}{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/connecting-the-community-rm-2900-bridge-set-to-open-friday/269-87cb4958-bdfa-4873-a485-0c24dd97b831 | title=Connecting the community: Kingsland RM 2900 bridge finally reopens | date=24 May 2019 }}
See also
References
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{{Waters of Texas}}
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Category:Tributaries of the Colorado River (Texas)
Category:Rivers of Kimble County, Texas
Category:Rivers Llano County, Texas