Large swaths of Texas are in recovery mode after last week’s flash flooding. Residents and businesses are assessing the damage and picking up the pieces for the second July in a row.
The heavy downpour in the region has also filled area lakes. Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan, which serve as the region’s primary reservoirs, reached capacity and authorities opened the flood gates to release the water.
As Texas copes with changing water needs and a growing population, what does all this rain mean now and in the long-term?
Clara Tuma, a spokesperson for the Lower Colorado River Authority, said together the two lakes are 102% full for the first time since 2019.
“We do have floodgates open at two dams right now — at Mansfield Dam, which creates Lake Travis, and at Tom Miller Dam, which creates Lake Austin,” she said. “We have had floodgate operations at other dams over the last few days, but as the water has been passed downstream, we’ve been able to close those floodgates.”
With the reservoirs full, Tuma said the area is currently no longer in drought conditions.
“To all the newcomers who are just seeing this for the first time, I would say welcome to life in Flash Flood Alley,” she said. “This is how it works. We’re in a semi-arid region and we are prone to prolonged droughts like we just saw and then sudden flash flooding.”
Whether lake levels stay high depends on a number of factors, including the forecast.
“It depends on weather. Is it hot and dry? No wind? How much is evaporation going to be a factor? How much water are people using?” Tuma said. “And one of the things I’d like to share right now is that just because the lakes are full doesn’t mean, okay, everybody can waste water… We should have that as a way of life, using water wisely. Nobody should ever say, ‘well, when we’re in drought, we’ll conserve, but when they’re full, we’ll just water our yards every day.’”
Tuma also cautioned people to use extra care on local waterways in the coming days, since floods can wash debris into lakes and rivers.
“We are seeing some flood debris in the water,” she said. “If you’re out on a boat, beware, keep an eye out and understand that flood debris can be at the surface of the water or it can be under the surface of the water.”
There is also a risk of bacteria in the water after floods, which people should consider before swimming.
“The Highland Lakes are natural water bodies. They are not chlorinated swimming pools. There’s always a chance of encountering bacteria, but that chance goes up significantly after heavy rains, because bacteria tend to grow after flooding rains,” Tuma said. “Stay away from any water that’s muddy or smelly or oily or murky. And if it looks like it’s been disturbed, if there’s dirt in the water, stay away. Go somewhere else. Use your best judgment. Also wear a life jacket. The lakes are deep, currents are strong. Life jackets save lives.”
Tuma said she expects Lake Travis specifically to start to fall again in the coming weeks — it is currently 105% full and should be down to 100% in the next few days.
“We’re going into what is traditionally one of the hottest times of the year. If we have many 100-degree days in a row, evaporation will increase, (water) use will increase,” she said. “We would expect to see water levels decline. But we’ll see. We didn’t expect this big flood in July. We do have a super El Niño in our area. We’ve got a tropical storm that we’re watching closely. So stay tuned.”
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