Those lakes were built for flood control, and water supply for downstream. (and some of them for hydro electricity, which always stay full, so the lower lakes are affected even worse when they don't get inflow)
Then rich folks decide to build multi million dollar homes on lakes like Travis where levels always go up and down, and are surprised and mad that it is low and can't park their $100,000 ski boat beside their dock?
It is sad...the lake will rise again and be "normal" for the lake folks someday. However, if they shut down water resources to rice farmers, those rice farms will convert to rangeland, and likely eventually developed. Never to return as rice again. Not only will that area decrease for waterfowl and other coastal ecosystems, but many peoples livelihood.
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