Last week’s torrential rains have left some Central Texas reservoirs at full capacity. This morning, authorities are working to move some of that water downstream to protect against flooding, and, for the first time in almost 10 years, the Lower Colorado River Authority is opening a floodgate at Lake Travis.
That will allow water already released further upstream from Lake Buchanan to continue to flow downstream through Austin.
LCRA's John Hofmann says residents south of Lake Travis will need to be mindful.
“The water in the river immediately downstream of the reservoir will be moving pretty quickly,” Hofmann said. “It’ll be swift, so for those that would want to recreate or those that have boat docks or boats and things of that nature, they would need to secure those items.”
Hofmann anticipates the gate will remain open for at least 48 hours. He says the operation will open up floodwater capacity, preparing the region for additional heavy rains.
Below you can watch video of the release from the LCRA’s Facebook. The release starts at around the 13-minute mark.
