LCRA watershed review can begin below the permit threshold

LCRA's Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance covers the Colorado River watershed in Burnet County, not just lots that touch the river. Grading, clearing, roads, buildings, and other work can send dirt or runoff toward the lakes.

A person doing covered development must notify LCRA. A development permit is generally required when a project adds more than 10,000 square feet of hard surface or disturbs more than one acre. Smaller work may still need a no-permit notice.

Local administration can vary. Burnet, Marble Falls, and Horseshoe Bay have agreements with LCRA, and county or city rules may apply too.

Take the parcel and full project size to the mapped office. The key numbers are total hard surface and total disturbed ground, not simply how close the work looks to the river.