Water officials in Texas are urging everyone to remain out of Lake Travis as debris flow and high bacteria levels from the recent floods endanger boaters and swimmers.
“Safety is our top priority, and it’s not safe to be on the lakes now under the conditions we’re seeing,” Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Executive Vice President of Water John Hofmann said in a press release. “We’ll continue to evaluate the lakes daily and will let you know when conditions improve enough for us to remove the advisory.”
Why It Matters
Last weekend, deadly floods surged through Central Texas. Some parts of the state saw more than 20 inches of rain, with the National Weather Service (NWS) attributing the excessive moisture to remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which formed the weekend prior.
Urgent flood warnings were issued across Texas as rivers surged. More than 100 people have died, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in Kerr County. More rain fell across the region on Monday.
What To Know
Lake Travis, located near Austin, has risen more than 20 feet in less than a week amid torrential rainfall that flooded numerous rivers in the region. The popular Texas reservoir reached its highest point in three years last weekend.
The sudden jump in water levels comes as the popular lake has battled years of drought. At some points, water levels became so low that they exposed items beneath the lake’s surface, such as hidden pecan groves and a concrete plant.
Although the lake remains open to the public, LCRA officials are urging swimmers and boaters to remain out of Lake Travis and the other highland lakes until conditions improve following the floods.
“LCRA strongly advises people to stay out of the Highland Lakes for the next few days to avoid flood debris, fast-moving flows and bacteria levels that traditionally increase after a flood event,” the most recent flood operations report said.
The rate of increase has slowed, but water levels continue to rise. Similar large jumps have been seen throughout Lake Travis’ history, as the reservoir is in Texas’ Flash Flood Alley, an LCRA spokesperson told Newsweek.
As of Thursday morning, the lake is about 20 feet below its full pool level, which occurs at 681 feet.
Once the danger passes, visitors are expected to return as lake levels improve and make recreation more enjoyable.
The risk of more rain continues for parts of Central Texas on Thursday.
What People Are Saying
NWS office in San Angelo, in a Thursday forecast: “There is a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall across much of the area. Additional showers and thunderstorms are likely mainly Saturday night with heavy rainfall resulting in possible flash flooding.”
An LCRA spokesperson told Newsweek: “Lake Travis is a popular lake, and we would expect to see additional visitation at the lake later this summer.”
What Happens Next
Lake Travis levels could continue to rise in the immediate future, but further changes are unclear.
“Levels in Lake Travis later this summer will depend on a combination of heat and wind, water usage in Central Texas and if/where we see continued rainfall in watershed,” the spokesperson told Newsweek.
The post People Urged To Stay Out of Popular Texas Lake After Floods appeared first on Newsweek.
