Posted: Sat, 23 Apr 2011 03:58 PM - 9,366 Readers

By: Steve Alberts

With temperatures in the 90s this Easter weekend, thousands flocked to Lake Travis to rent boats and other watercraft

“It's fantastic. I have been coming here for years,” said AJ Patel.

At Just for Fun, a boat and jet ski rental business on Lake Travis, owner Pete Clark says business is booming.

“You know it's the busiest Easter I can remember,” he said. “There are lots of boats out and lots of people on the lake.”

Clark says the extreme drought has meant a huge jump start to the summer boating season.

“The first four months of the year probably have been the best we've ever had,” he said.

Crowds of people showed up eager to get on the water.

Brian Gibbons and his family were visiting from Louisiana

“We rented two different boats -- a ski boat and one of the house boats,” explained Gibbons. “We used one as a camp and one as a run about. It was a lot of fun.”

It's been more than six months since we've gotten any significant rainfall.  Lake levels continue to drop and the effects of the drought are becoming more visible. You usually don't see the so-called islands this time of year.

“It's definitely dropped,” Patel said.

Business owners are concerned if the lake continues to drop, it will be a short season.

“Our season in Texas goes well past Labor Day,” said Doug Powell, General Manager of Emerald Point Marina. “This year we are concerned the season would be shortened really into July. Two years ago was one of the worst ones [droughts] I had ever seen. It is not that bad yet."

2009 was the hottest summer in Austin's history. Lake Travis dropped 34 feet below its average level.  As a result Clark saw business drop 40 percent. He says as far as this year, he prays for rain.

“We pray for rain Monday through Thursday of every week,” Clark said.

He remains optimistic that Mother Nature will due her part to replenish the lake.

*  Story Contributed by: Steve Alberts