AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Lower Colorado River Authority has adopted a plan for managing water downstream from lakes Buchanan and Travis during a drought.

The Austin American-Statesman (http://bit.ly/AE5bkE) reports the 10-5 vote was divided between dissident LCRA board members representing rice farming areas downstream and those representing Travis County, other Hill Country counties and electric utilities.

The board rejected an amendment drafted to ease the plans effects on the downstream rice farmers. Upstream board member John Franklin said the important thing was to advance the plan to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a technical review.

The authority devised the new plan to meet an expected 48 percent increase in demand from its water users by 2020, chiefly cities and electric generators.