Lake Travis
The Lower Colorado River Authority announced that Lake Travis in Texas is experiencing its lowest December water levels since 1964.
The river authority reports that Lake Travis is sitting at 644.1 feet above mean sea level, 25 feet below its December average level. The last time levels in the lake were this low was on Dec. 4, 1964, when they hit 643.4 feet above mean sea level.
Lake Travis' lower water levels could mean problems for water resources, as Lakes Travis and Buchanan are the primary sources of water for Austin, Texas and other basin communities. Texas' drought this year can be attributed to a lack of spring and fall rains that usually replenish the lake.
The drought could have an effect on tourism in Lake Travis during the upcoming spring and summer months. The low levels could also have an adverse effect on boating, which is the primary source of tourism at Lake Travis.
Right now, reservoir supplies are about half-full, only low enough for the river authority to curtail release of water for irrigation. It would take a year or more of extremely dry conditions before water released for municipal purposes would have to be slowed.
Rain from an El Niño weather pattern could make conditions wetter within the next few weeks. Although these rains may not have an immediate effect on the drought, they could later on in the year.
December 7, 2006 12:08 PM | Category: Drought