<\/p>\n
A man is seen waterskiing on Lake Austin in Austin on Sept. 3, 2025. City officials are weighing whther to lower the lake by up to 12 feet this fall.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
The city of Austin could lower Lake Austin\u00a0for the first time in nearly a decade<\/a> this fall\u00a0\u2014 but city officials remain unconvinced that drawing down the lake would help control an infestation of invasive hydrilla that plagues the waterway.<\/p>\n Austin Water<\/a> is expected to decide within the next month whether it will lower lake levels by 10 to 12 feet in October at the request of shoreline stakeholders, the utility said in a statement Monday.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Lowering the lake would \u201cgive access to private property owners for dock and bulkhead maintenance, debris and sediment removal, and may also temporarily help manage nuisance aquatic vegetation,\u201d the statement reads. The\u00a0drawdown would take place over six weeks in October and November.<\/p>\n Operators have historically lowered Lake Austin every two years or so, barring drought. But this fall\u2019s drawdown would be the first since 2017 if city leaders and the Lower Colorado River Authority \u2014 which operates the hydroelectric dams on both ends of the lake \u2014 approve it.<\/p>\n The nearly decade-long hiatus was due largely to prolonged drought conditions, Austin Water engineer Teresa Lutes recently told a City Council committee. She said that, moving forward, the city plans to lower the lake about every four years.<\/p>\n Lake Austin has hovered at roughly 97% ful<\/a>l over the past year.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The proposed drawdown was requested last year by a group of shoreline property owners, according to an October memo from Austin Water and Austin Watershed Protection<\/a>. Besides granting easier access for maintenance, the property owners hope lowering\u00a0the lake will kill off some of the invasive vegetation<\/a> near the shoreline and facilitate its removal.<\/p>\n A boat travels on Lake Austin on June 29 in Austin. More than 40% of the lake is infested with invasive hydrilla, which can clog waterways and impede navigation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n