The Lower Colorado River Authority announced over the weekend it had enacted floodgate operations at Mansfield Dam, supportive infrastructure located at Lake Travis in Austin. Those floodgate operations marked the first of its kind at the dam since 2019, idle after years of drought impacts resulting in lower-than-capacity water levels at the beloved Central Texas lake.
“Lake Travis has risen into its flood pool, and the dam is doing exactly what it was designed to do: store floodwaters until they can be safely released downstream.” LCRA officials wrote in a July 18 social media post.
For Lake Travis, 100% capacity is defined as water elevation reaching 681 feet above mean sea level; any elevation about that would prompt floodgate releases through Mansfield Dam, per LCRA.
As of Monday, July 20, Lake Travis remained at 100% capacity and reported a mean water level of 684.38 feet, according to figures recorded by Water Data for Texas. For perspective, Lake Travis was classified as 90% full one year ago on July 20, 2025, 77.8% full on January 20 and 72.6% full on April 20.
Amid LCRA’s floodgate operations and heightened sea levels, the government agency confirmed three public boat ramps at Lake Travis — Camp Creek Park, Gloster Bend Recreation Area and Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area — are temporarily closed, with Pace Bend at Tournament Point also closed due to its ramp being underwater.