Posted: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:54 PM - 10,635 Readers

By: Juana Summers

Lake levels near the Mansfield Dam boat ramps are continuing to drop, which could mean the only open ramp on the lake could be closed as early as next weekend, officials say.

Lake levels on Lake Travis are expected to drop below 640 feet today, but boats of all sizes should still be able to launch, officials say.

“We will probably keep it open until the lake drops another foot. You can see the end of the ramp now. We’re looking at alternate locations to see if we can accommodate some other launching,” said Dan Perry, district manager for the Lake Travis area.

Two of the four boat lanes on the ramp at Mansfield Dam have already closed because of low water, officials said.

Once the lake drops below 640, officials will monitor the ramp daily to determine whether it should close, parks officials say.

Perry said the Parks Department is planning an attempt to lengthen the Mansfield Dam boat ramps vertically by 10 or 15 feet. However, that’s not an option for ramps at Pace Bend Park or Sandy Creek because the topography doesn’t allow it, he said.

LCRA spokeswoman Krista Umscheid-Ramirez said a number of the boat ramps at Lake Travis were extended in 2000, allowing boaters to use the ramps for significantly longer than they had been able to in the past.