Posted: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 10:22 AM - 6,664 Readers

By: Miguel Liscano

As the summer season drew to a close Monday for businesses around a shrunken Lake Travis, owners hoped for more water in the offseason and a better summer next year.

Record heat this summer and an ongoing drought pushed the water level at the lake down to its lowest point since 1963, and about 34 feet below its September average. All of the dozen public boat ramps around the lake were shut down earlier this summer because of the water level, and businesses that were accustomed to being invaded by lakegoers on holidays such as Labor Day saw fewer people renting boats this year.

Brian Buckler, who owns Daybreak Boat Rentals, said that as of Monday afternoon his business this weekend was down about 20 percent compared with last year. But, with the way the rest of the summer went, he was happy sales didn't dip lower.

"That's not bad for the lake being 50 percent down," he said with a chuckle. "I'm looking forward to a big rain."

Buckler said most businesses around the lake, including marinas, restaurants, convenience stores and his miniature golf course, had trouble.

Johnny Fins, a restaurant in Hurst Harbor Marina, has been closed since July 12 and posted a note on its Web site saying it will reopen "when we get enough rain!!"

And Kip Owles, owner of Lake Travis Water Tours, said he hasn't taken a group out since July 4. The falling lake level left his double-decker tour boat, the Colorado Cruiser, stuck on shore shortly after his last tour and he said he had to return $14,000 in deposits.


photo by Alberto Martínez

"For me, it's been devastating," Owles said. "I'll probably have to file bankruptcy because of it.

"I'm trying to figure out a way to get my boat out of Texas. I'm done with Texas."

He said he's thinking of moving the boat to Pennsylvania, where he lives, and transforming it into a restaurant on the Delaware River.

Most of the businesses around the lake had a bit more luck this summer but are ready to move on.

"We're not really cursing this year, but it's been a tough summer," said Pat "Hawkeye" Roth, operations director for Just for Fun watercraft rental. "We're hoping that the weather will change and get back to normal for us."

He said he's never seen so much shoreline at the lake. And he said some people probably stayed home this summer because of the high heat, choosing air-conditioning instead of the open water.

Also, the closed public boat ramps, one of which was reopened for small boats at Mansfield Dam Park on Friday, left some confused about whether businesses around the lake were open.

"People keep thinking the lake is closed," said Krista Umscheid-Ramirez, spokeswoman for the Lower Colorado River Authority. But, "all the marinas have been operational."

The river authority posted a note on its Web site on Friday reminding potential lakegoers that while the lake water level was low, Lake Travis had not been shut down.

On Monday, Roth said that of the roughly 70 boats owned by Just for Fun, about 25 had been rented as of Monday afternoon.

"Usually, people are all over the dock and we're scrambling to get boats online again," Roth said. "Normally, we get hammered on a day like today.

"We can't have another season like this. It's crippling."