No drought = big party for holiday

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After 23 years in business, Just For Fun Watercraft Rentals is celebrating their best year yet during this Fourth of July holiday - and it's a far cry from what businesses along the Highland Lakes were experiencing last year during an epic drought.

The rental shop, which deals in party pontoon boats and other aquatic pleasure crafts, hit a record this 4th of July weekend on Lake Travis - renting out their entire fleet of 77 boats, jet skis, and houseboats.

This is a complete contrast from last year when "we were in mourning, " says operations manager Capt. Hawkeye Roth.

"This weekend has been fantastic," says Roth. "Our guys got beat into the dock and the loved every minute of it. We had tons of people. Everybody came and had a gfood time. Our boats were all rented out."

Indeed. The Highland Lakes were dangerously low at this time last year, severely curtailing boat activity - a staple of July 4th celebrations - and resulting in only one boat ramp open at Lake Travis alone, an illustration of how little revelry was going on during America's birthday celebration of 2009.

As for those who patrol the Highland Lakes , it was much the same as last year; very light and less than what officials expected. They planned for a high traffic weekend. Their expectations were not met.

"What we normally see is a lot of boats, a lot of congestion at the ramps, a lot of violations, a lot of injuries," says LCRA patrol officer Len Snyder. "Fortunately, we didn't see any of that."

On this unexpectedly light holiday, lake patrol still conducted safety boat safety inspections looking for updated boat certificates, life-vests, working fire extinguishers, Type 4 throwable floaters, and alcohol-free drivers.

"I don't know that we made any arrests overall for BWI cases," says Snyder. "Which doesn't disappoint us. We are very much into voluntary compliance if we can get it."

The reason for the lighter holiday, LCRA officials blame it on the rain saying, the rain and the threat of rain may have changed plans for many would-be boaters