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A boat is seen driving on Lake Austin in Austin, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Austin City Council members were briefed Wednesday on a plan to partially lower Lake Austin this fall so property owners can repair docks, boat slips and other infrastructure. City officials say the drawdown\u2014the first in almost 10 years\u2014also may have the added benefit of stunting the spread of invasive water plants, at least temporarily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The city first announced it was considering a drawdown in late July at the request of property owners. The Lower Colorado River Authority, which manages the lake, approved the plan on Aug. 20. It calls for draining the lake between Mansfield and Tom Miller dams by about 10 feet. The process will begin Oct. 12 with lake levels expected to be replenished by Nov. 30.<\/p>\n
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During Wednesday\u2019s discussion, council members Marc Duchen and Paige Ellis asked city staff about the timing of the drawdown, including whether property owners would have enough time to obtain required permits and whether it could conflict with a busy season for local businesses.<\/p>\n
Duchen said he wanted the city to continue gathering feedback to ensure officials were on the right track, emphasizing that the drawdown is a complicated process that has not been carried out in nearly a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to keep our ears on the ground, make sure we monitor the feedback that we\u2019re hearing from the community who may be either taking advantage of this or otherwise impacted by this,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city requires permits to construct new boat docks, repair existing docks and bulkheads, and to remove sediment from the lakebed. Austin Development Services is developing a special application for minor dock and bulkhead repairs that will be posted on the city\u2019s website<\/a> in the coming weeks. Some projects may require permits from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city is hosting an open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 9 where residents and property owners can get more information about the drawdown, including what types of permits they might need to obtain. The event will be held at the Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Meeting Room 1407.\u00a0<\/p>\n The LCRA said it would drain the lake by no more than about 1 foot per day and that it could take as long as three weeks for it to reach its target range of just over 481 feet above mean sea level. The authority will begin refilling the lake Nov. 24, with water released from Lake Travis at a rate of up to 2 feet per day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Public boat ramps along Lake Austin will be closed during the drawdown, and swimming will be prohibited at Emma Long Metropolitan Park. Property owners should not leave unattended equipment in the exposed lakebed, officials said.<\/p>\n A boat travels on Lake Austin on Monday June 29, 2026 in Austin.<\/p>\n Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Property owners will be allowed to use the exposed\u00a0lakebed to repair shoreline structures, dredge boat slips, remove debris and manage vegetation. The Austin Fire Department and Austin Parks and Recreation also plan to use the lowered water levels to complete maintenance projects.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n City staff told council members Wednesday the lake had not been lowered in nearly a decade because of ongoing drought, the lack of a formal process for deciding when to conduct a drawdown and the absence of community requests until invasive vegetation became a concern.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n