AUSTIN (KXAN) — After an exceedingly rainy start to July, experts warn people to exercise caution when using Austin waterways this weekend.
Following several heavy rain events, Austin’s lakes – Lake Travis, Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake – may still have elevated levels of storm debris and bacteria.
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of water pass through the Highland Lakes since July 4,” John Hofmann, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) executive vice president of Water, said in a press release. “Conditions are improving daily, but we are still seeing flood debris in some areas. We expect bacteria levels elevated by the flood to start returning to more normal levels late next week.”
Dr. Brent Bellinger, a conservation program supervisor with Austin’s Watershed Protection Department, said the heavy rain would have washed pollutants into Lady Bird Lake.
“For Lady Bird Lake, which gets a lot of urban runoff and drainage, you’re going to want to wait three to seven to 10 days, depending on the size of the rainfall event,” Bellinger said.
“With the magnitude of the rainfall, it’s going to move and mobilize more stuff. You would expect the corresponding water quality and sediment characteristics to change commensurate with that,” he continued.
Bellinger recommends avoiding areas where debris and organic material have collected and sticking to clearer, open waters. He also advised rinsing and toweling off after any exposure to natural water sources, especially in the days following storms.
“There’s just a suite of things that could cause skin irritations or otherwise,” Bellinger said.“We want people to recreate. It’s one of the greatest draws of Austin—these waterways. It’s just about taking the right precautions.”