Austin bans watercraft as Lake Travis rises above capacity, Mansfield Dam floodgates open

Officials are responding to high water after recent rains in the Texas Hill Country by opening dam floodgates and temporarily banning watercraft use on several Austin-area waterways.

Amid floodgate operations by the Lower Colorado River Authority and Austin Water, the city of Austin imposed a waterway ban Friday. It will remain in effect until Tuesday.

Personal and commercial watercraft, water bikes, motorized surfboards, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and similar devices are prohibited on Lake Austin from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam, Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River downstream of Longhorn Dam. 

City officials said the ban is meant to keep people safe, as the waterways are expected to experience faster flows and increased debris, making recreational, commercial and navigational use unsafe. Officials also encouraged the public to avoid riverfront trails, which could flood as water levels rise.

The LCRA opened one floodgate at Mansfield Dam at 6 a.m. Saturday after Lake Travis overnight rose to the top of its conservation pool, an elevation of 681 feet above mean sea level.

Lake Travis was at 104% of its conservation capacity when the gate opened. A second floodgate was scheduled to open at 1 p.m. Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, two out the 24 floodgates were scheduled to be opened. It is the first time since 2019 that these floodgates are being opened. 

"The Highland Lakes system is operating as designed, moving water through the lakes in an orderly manner," said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of water.

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