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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Lake Travis water levels jumped 20 feet in four days after torrential downpours battered Central Texas over the weekend.
The sudden rise in water levels comes as the popular Texas reservoir near Austin has battled years of drought. Prior to the onslaught of rain, the lake was only 43 percent full, according to Water Data for Texas. Now, the lake is 65 percent full.
Newsweek reached out to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), which manages the reservoir, by email for comment.
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Why It Matters
Over the 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, Texas. More rain fell across the region on Monday.
What to Know
The water levels of many rivers have since receded, with no rivers in moderate or major flood stage on Tuesday morning, according to the National Water Center. However, Lake Travis levels continue to rise.
The sudden change comes as the lake has been gripped by a years-long drought, causing its water levels to fall dramatically and altering both the landscape and recreational patterns around the reservoir. Frequently, the lake has been less than half full, exposing areas and long-submerged objects rarely seen, such as hidden pecan groves and abandoned structures.
The persistent drought was driven by a combination of extreme heat, prolonged dry spells, and fluctuating rainfall patterns across Texas. Over the past several summers, the region experienced brutal heatwaves that lowered water tables in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Although meteorologists have noted that wet periods—at times tied to the El Niño climate pattern—occasionally brought temporary relief, drought remained across the region.
Sporadic heavy downpours in 2024 helped raise Lake Travis water levels last summer, but then the lake continued its steady decline. Evaporation is the source of the largest depletion at the lake, said John Hofmann, executive vice president of the LCRA.
"The evaporation rates in our area use as much water as the city of Austin," Hofmann said, according to a report by CBS Austin.
Experts point out that aside from weather fluctuations, human factors such as population growth and increased water consumption also put pressure on Lake Travis. During times of drought, Texans across the region are urged to limit their water use, such as what is used in landscaping.
"What you can control is your discretionary water use. Continue to focus on the need for conservation measures as we go into the summertime. And I think increasingly given the growth that we see in our area, conservation needs to be a way of life," Hofmann said in the CBS Austin report.
However, more than water surged into Lake Travis over the weekend. Local meteorologists warned boaters against venturing into the lake as a debris mass from the floods moved towards the reservoir.
What People Are Saying
CBS Austin meteorologist Avery Tomasco posted on X on Friday: "The LCRA now says that all 10 floodgates may need to open overnight at Starcke Dam to pass flood water down to Lake Travis. That's a LOT of water moving through LBJ and Marble Falls. Lots of debris will be flowing quickly. I'd hold off on boating for the rest of the weekend."
LCRA said in a flood operation report for the Highland Lakes, which includes Lake Travis: "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."
What Happens Next
Although Lake Travis water levels are still rising, the rate at which they are increasing has started to slow. Although brief surges in moisture can temporarily alleviate water levels, Lake Travis is still 22 feet below its full pool, which happens at 681 feet. Recurring cycles of drought and flood are expected to continue changing the water levels of the lake.
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