Posted: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:00 AM - 15,485 Readers

By: Jessica Vess

Extreme drought conditions continue to plague Central Texas.

The heat and dry spell is taking toll on area lakes. Officials at the Lower Colorado River Authority, LCRA, oversee lake conditions. They say levels are dropping about a foot each week.

"It's a very unforgiving environment when it's full, must less when it's low like this," warns an LCRA spokesperson.

Travis County Parks manages access to the lakes. This week, parks officials closed all but one public boat ramp to the lake. Mansfield Dam is the only public ramp now open for boaters.

According to the LCRA's website, the drought began affecting lake levels in October last year. Since then, inflows to Lake Travis have been the lowest on record since 1942.

Based on the measuring scale used at the LCRA, Lake Travis currently sits just below 644 units. When levels drop below 630, it is possible the ramp at Mansfield Dam will close to boaters as well. 630 is listed as the minimum level on the agency's website for ramp access.

The falling levels are making boating on the Lake more hazardous as well. More of the so-called "Sometimes Islands" are showing on the surface. Rocks are now peaking through the water and debris is scattered across the lake. Officials are setting up new buoy systems as a means of warning for boaters.

"This is a great place to come to. It's a great place to enjoy, but you just need to be aware that this lake is changing every week," said an LCRA spokesperson. "You need to be very cautious when you come to this lake."

Levels on nearby Lake Buchanan are also dropping. One public boat ramp remains open there.

Both Travis and Buchanan serve as water reservoirs for more than 1 million people. The LCRA says there is still enough water to meet the water supply needs of the community, but it is urging conservation.