Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:27 AM - 20,855 Readers

By: Erin Cargile

The Mansfield Dam park public boat ramp opened on Monday as the water level in Lake Travis levels hit 632 feet, the minimum for the boat ramp to operate.

Word is spreading quickly. Tuesday, the parking lot filled up with boat trailers.

A Travis County Parks and Recreation employee even had some trouble getting his boat trailer in the water, having to get through the geese first.


The reopening comes just in time for spring breakers.

The last time the lake was that high was Sept. 13, said Clara Tuma, a spokeswoman for the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Travis County closed the boat ramp Sept. 20.

While the rising lake level is good news, Central Texas is still in a drought. Tuma said Lake Travis is about 40 feet below the average for the month of March.

Many private boat ramps have remained open through the drought but the Mansfield Dam boat ramp was the last to close and the first to open.

The other 10 public boat ramps on Lake Travis remain closed because of the low lake levels.