On July 24, Lake Travis was reopened for recreational use following weeks of intense rains and floods throughout Central Texas. Officials advise guests to be mindful of any residual dangers and safety risks when enjoying the water, even after the reopening.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown declared Lake Travis completely closed on July 5 due to flooding risks and dangerous water conditions. A partial reopening downstream was permitted under an amended order on July 19, but recreational activities along Cow Creek were still prohibited while cleanup and recovery work was being done.
According to Desmar Walkes, medical director of Austin Public Health, “we had a big rain event that caused hundreds of thousands of acres of runoff water from the land mass surrounding those water sources, and that comes with contamination.” For anyone who might be exposed to the flood water, that presents a serious risk to their public health.
According to Walkes, there may remain debris in the water for an indeterminate period of time and the contamination of the water can persist for weeks following the flooding. According to Water Data for Texas, Lake Travis was 90.6% full as of Sunday, compared to 43.6% full one month prior.
According to Walkes, there are septic and wastewater tanks in those locations that might have overflowed and spilled into the water that flowed into those bodies of water.
Local companies that depend on lake operations were also disrupted by the storm, since many are still waiting for more precise safety instructions.Debris carried by the floodwaters can physically harm boats and marina infrastructure, making recovery operations more difficult, said to Charlotte Jacunski, general manager of Waterford Marina and North Shore Marina on Lake Travis.
According to Jacunski, the bacteria levels from floodwaters have caused the largest disruption. People are taking their boats out, and normal business has slowed down.
Water safety is still a primary focus, according to Clara Tuma, the Lower Colorado River Authority’s public relations officer. She advised visitors to be aware of the lake’s inherent dangers.
Anyone considering visiting the lakes right after flooding should be advised that there will probably be debris on the lake’s surface as well as beneath it, according to Tuma. People should be aware that after flooding, bacterial levels often spike and remain high for a few weeks.
