Lake Travis, west of Austin, is unusual compared to many lakes in the country. When there is a significant rainfall event, like the one that just happened in Marble Falls, Lake Travis can rise dramatically. The topography is such that the Central Texas area is also very prone to flash flooding. In 2007, Lake Travis went from being half empty, 42 feet below full, to 20 feet over full in just two months. Much of the rise came after a cloud bomb* that dropped 18 inches in Marble Falls in just a few hours. When events like this happens, creeks and rivers sell enormously and take a lot of unwanted stuff into area lakes. When Lake Travis has a flood event, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), the entity that manages the lake, can close Lake Travis. The LCRA has the not so fun job of managing the water in and out of the lakes to control flooding as best they can. With heavy rain having poured into the entire catch basin for Lake Travis, the LCRA was smart to close it. Want to know why you need to stay off Lake Travis after a flood? Keep reading. Debris – flash flooding creeks and rivers send trees and limbs into the lake. They also can send smashed boat docks and other things caught in the raging water into Lake Travis. Floating debris makes boating unsafe. More debris – When the lake rises and floods homes, stuff floats. It isn’t surprising to see household propane tanks that have broken free floating on the lake. Again, this is a big hazard for boaters. Bacteria – fecal coliform from animal waste gets picked up by wide-spread, heavy rain and travels down rivers and creeks into Lake Travis. This is a hazard to swimmers. More bacteria – if septic systems are not functioning correctly and are covered by rising flood water, more bacteria will get into the water. Trees and other fixed objects – live trees that are usually above water can be hidden just below the surface. Another boating hazard. The same is true of submerged structures. You may be able to see the roof of a Lake Travis house, but what about a concrete picnic bench or a fence post? Electrical lines – power lines to flooded properties could be pretty bad to get close to. How do you know if there is electric current still flowing? Since water is an excellent conductor of electricity, I wouldn’t want to get too close to a source of electricity. Things that bite – believe it or not, ants are a hazard to swimmers. When they get flooded out of their in-ground nests, ants will pile on anything that floats. If a swimmer comes in contact with an ant-infested log, guess where the ants go. Snakes also get caught up in flood waters and will look for something to float on. Lake Travis is a great place to own real estate and is a great recreational lake. However, it isn’t a good place to visit as a boater or a swimmer after a flood. Anyone living on the lake of wanting to play on and in Lake Travis just needs to wait it out. The LCRA will get the lake drained and all will be back to normal. *What’s a cloub bomb? I read the term the other day when meteorologists were referring to extremely heavy rain events over a small area in a brief period of time. Return to Austin Real Estate Articles . |