Overview
- The City of Austin has extended its prohibition on recreational and commercial watercraft because continued floodgate operations by the Lower Colorado River Authority and ongoing hydrogeneration are sustaining hazardous river flows.
- The closed areas include Lake Austin from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam, Lady Bird Lake, and the Colorado River downstream of Longhorn Dam.
- The ban covers a broad set of craft such as canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, wet bikes, motorized surfboards and other personal or commercial watercraft.
- Officials warn that strong, unpredictable currents, submerged debris, stirred-up sediment that reduces underwater visibility, and elevated bacteria and pollutant levels make non-motorized craft especially vulnerable.
- Austin Water and the LCRA are coordinating operations and will keep Longhorn Dam gates open until Tom Miller flows slow, and the Fire Chief has authorized the closures while residents are urged to avoid riverfront trails for safety.