Posted: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:30 AM - 12,749 Readers

By: Ashley Goudeau

The serene sound of Lake Travis is overshadowed by the way it looks. Where there was once water, there is now nothing but dry land.

The low levels aren't just catching the attention of homeowners, but also the entity that manages the lakes -- the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).

"The drought has certainly highlighted the need to account for every drop of water taken from the Highland Lakes," said LCRA Spokesperson Clara Tuma.

The LCRA says about 3,300 people are making that hard to do.

"People sometimes put a pipe in the lake and then use a pump to take water from the lake, for instance, to water their yard. That's fine with a contract. It's not okay without a contract," explained Tuma.

Of the more than 5,000 people pumping water from the lakes, only 2,000 have contracts to do so. So the LCRA is planning to turn violators in to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

"I think that we're entitled to the water in the lake," says Jessica Janda who owns a home on the lake.

Janda isn't a fan of the crack down.

"We pay a lot in property taxes, so we should be able to pull water out of the lake since, you know, our wells are going dry as well," she added. "We have no other infrastructure to get water into this neighborhood."

Her husband Ryan disagrees.

"They maintain the water, and they have the water rights, so they technically own the water," he said.

On average, a yearly contract costs about $113, and the LCRA insists this isn't just about money. Tuma says they have to devise long-term planning for the water usage, and they need to know where the water is going.

Currently they are sending letters out to homeowners, again encouraging them to sign contracts for the water. If they don't, officials say they will soon turn people into the TCEQ.

Officials with the TCEQ say fines for stealing water from the Highland Lakes can range from $350 to $5,000, depending on how much water homeowners are taking. It is now working with the LCRA to determine how it will measure how much water people are stealing.

*  Story Contributed by: Ashley Goudeau