City Reopens Lake Austin, Extends Waterways Ban South of Tom Miller Dam

The City of Austin will let a portion of the waterways ban expire today at 5 p.m., resulting in Lake Austin reopening for recreational and commercial use. However, due to continued floodgate operations and related safety concerns, the waterways ban will be extended 48 hours until 5 p.m. Monday, July 27 for Lady Bird Lake and on the Colorado River south of Longhorn Dam. 

LCRA announced it intends to operate multiple flood gates at Tom Miller Dam through the weekend and into next week. With multiple gates open, unsafe water conditions are expected to continue on Lady Bird Lake. As long as floodgates remain open, further waterway ban extensions may be necessary.

In coordination with LCRA, Austin Water will keep flood gates at Longhorn Dam open until flow from Tom Miller Dam slows to a point where current flood operations can be safely scaled back.

The ban is extended in an effort to keep Austinites and visitors safe as water conditions may not be safe for recreational, commercial, and navigational use at this time. The higher, faster water flows resulting from dam operations can create hazardous conditions on the waterways for boaters, especially non-motorized vehicles on Lady Bird Lake. Boaters may have trouble paddling against the current to get back to their original destination or to stay away from dangerous areas near the dams. In addition, there may be strong and unpredictable currents due to debris beneath the water’s surface. Flows can stir up sediment making the water turbid, reducing water quality and visibility under the surface of the water. In addition, bacteria and pollutant levels tend to be high after storms.

Personal and commercial watercraft, wet bikes, motorized surfboards, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and other similar devices are not allowed on the following waterways in Austin:

• Lady Bird Lake

• Colorado River downstream of Longhorn Dam

Residents and visitors also are urged to avoid riverfront trails which may be unsafe to navigate and are susceptible to flash flooding at this time due to raised water levels. 

Again, the waterway ban for Lake Austin will expire at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 25. Lake Austin will reopen for recreational and commercial use then.

City Code Section 8-5-21 authorizes the Fire Chief to issue such prohibitions on waterways after determining that flooding is occurring or likely to occur. The decision to issue a waterways ban, or extend one currently in effect, is made in coordination between Austin Fire, Austin Emergency Management, Austin Watershed Protection, Austin Water, and Austin Parks. LCRA provides consultation and information to help the City make a decision but is not involved with the final decision.