Dry hot conditions are expected through the 4th.  A ridge of high pressure will dominate our weather pattern this weekend so expect afternoon high above the 100 degree mark with lots of sunshine. A weak front moves south Sunday and brings a chance for showers/t-storms to Central Texas through Tuesday.

Low lake levels due to our exceptional drought may cause a few headaches this holiday weekend. So go prepared!! Only one ramp is usable on Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan. Here’s the latest information from the LCRA.

Lake Travis update:

Currently, Mansfield Dam Recreation Area, located off Ranch Road 620 about five miles south of FM 2222, has the only public boat ramp available for boaters to use on Lake Travis over the Fourth of July weekend. It is usable until the lake level drops below 640 feet above mean sea level.

Since the beginning of the water recreation season, 11 of the 12 Lake Travis public boat ramps have become unusable as the lake level has fallen below the concrete ramps. Many boaters still have access to the lake through private marinas and docks.

Travis County Parks, which operates the LCRA-owned parks around Lake Travis, wants boaters who are planning to visit Lake Travis over the holiday weekend to be aware of the conditions and plan accordingly. Additionally, two of the four lanes used to simultaneously launch multiple boats at Mansfield Dam are unusable, reducing the ramp’s launch capacity by half.

Boaters planning to use the only open public boat ramp on the lake need to have patience for long lines and to anticipate that the park will be closed to vehicles when parking spaces are filled there and at the nearby Mansfield Dam Overlook Park, which is used for overflow trailer parking. Staff regularly closes the park on holiday weekends as early as noon when the parking areas are full. Drivers on RR 620 need to be aware of potential traffic issues as the park fills up and the line of vehicles backs up onto RR 620.

Without significant rainfall to replenish water released for downstream uses and lost to evaporation, Lake Travis will continue to drop more than two feet a week. The average elevation for Lake Travis in July is 669.28 feet above mean sea level. On July 1 at noon, its elevation was 643.26 feet.

”Our region remains in the grips of a two-year drought, with some of the lowest rainfall totals since the drought of the ’50s,” said LCRA meteorologist Bob Rose. “Rainfall looks to stay below normal through July, with drought conditions growing worse.”

Lake Travis has been lower during past droughts.

• Oct. 15, 2000: 640.24
• Oct. 7, 1985: 636.58
• November 1963: 615.02
• Aug. 14, 1951 (the lake’s all-time low elevation): 614.18

Lake Buchanan update:

Currently, White Bluff Park, located off FM 2341 about 12 miles north of State Highway 29, has the only public boat ramp available for boaters to use over the Fourth of July weekend.

Since the beginning of the water recreation season, three of the four Lake Buchanan boat ramps have become unusable as the lake level has fallen below the concrete ramps. Currently, White Bluff Park boat ramp, operated by Burnet County, is the only public boat ramp available for boaters to use over the holiday weekend. It is usable until the lake level drops below 998 feet above mean sea level. Many boaters still have access to the lake through private marinas and docks.

Without significant rainfall, Lake Buchanan is dropping more than half a foot a week as a result of irrigation releases, increased municipal water use and evaporation. The average elevation for Lake Buchanan in July is 1,013.86 feet above mean sea level. On July 1 at noon, its elevation was 1,000.61 feet.

“Weather conditions are expected to be hot and generally dry through the Fourth of July weekend,” said LCRA meteorologist Bob Rose. “A few scattered showers may develop next Sunday when a weak cold front moves into the area, but otherwise, the weather will be very summer-like. Because of the hot, sunny weather, folks planning on being outside should drink plenty of water, use sunscreen and try to limit their time in direct sunshine.”

Lake Buchanan has been lower during past droughts:

• January 2007: 997.95
• Oct. 13, 2000: 994.73
• Oct. 7, 1984: 987.97
• September 1964: 986.63
• Sept. 9, 1952 (the lake’s all-time low elevation): 983.70

A guide to ramps on the Highland Lakes

Under normal conditions, getting a boat into LCRA water isn’t a problem. Back it down the ramp and get it afloat. The problem is when conditions are abnormal such as in a drought, when water levels are low, or during a flood, when they are too high.

Below are the minimum water levels for launching boats from LCRA ramps on the Highland Lakes. Lakes are often closed to recreational boaters during severe floods.

The Highland Lakes can greatly fluctuate during the year. So make sure you check the latest lake level data (see box at right) and the information below when planning a boat trip.

Public boat ramps on the Highland Lakes
Minimum lake level indicates the lowest lake elevation that the ramps are usable.

Click here for Josh Hinkle’s story on the Highland Lakes.