Rain does little to help lake levels

LAKE TRAVIS (KXAN) - Take a walk near the Lakeway Marina and you will be met with rocky cliffs, exposed boat docks and some beached boats.

It is a site Janet Caylor, owner of the marina, sees daily, thanks to the severe drought choking Central Texas.

"It is economically devastating," said Caylor.

Caylor is working on a Lower Colorado River Authority board as a stakeholder. She is helping look at water management and conservation plans.

Early Wednesday morning rains that dropped more than five inches in parts of East Travis County and Bastrop did little to help the Highlands Lakes.

"Prayer is not a strategy, folks," Caylor reminded.

Lake Travis is down 42 feet from its average level of 669 feet. 

"Lake Travis came up about four-tenths of a foot and Lake Buchanan came up one-tenth of a foot," said David Walker, LRCA's river operations manager.

Torrential rain in 1991 followed by flooding raised Lake Travis to 710.44 feet above average--showing even more how early morning rains had little impact on the area.

"A big hurricane dying out would do it," Walker said.

Walker went on to say a series of storms like those Wednesday morning would also raise lake levels.

Still, Caylor, who is in danger of having her other marina closing, believes lower lake levels can be curbed through proper water management and conservation.

"If everybody uses what they are contracted for, we are in deep yogurt," Caylor said.