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Boat ramp at Mansfield Dam Park to close due to low water levels

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Published  June 28, 2023 4:21pm CDT
Lake Travis
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Some boaters may be left high and dry for the Fourth of July.

The Mansfield Dam Park boat ramp on Lake Travis will be closed on Friday, June 30, due to the low water level. 

"We caught wind this morning, and we're like, all right, let's load up and get going," said Joe Bearden of Distinguished Motorsports. "We're trying to knock out these HydroPorts before we have to drive around a lot further and then drag them through the water a lot further. That'll just cost a lot more."

There are 13 public boat ramps on Lake Travis, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. 

After Friday, the only public ramp on Lake Travis to remain open is Tournament Point at Pace Bend Park. 

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Low levels make for a difficult holiday weekend on Lake Travis

Lake Travis is only 46% full. The low lake levels are discouraging some central Texans from enjoying the lake over Memorial Day weekend.

According to the LCRA, as of Wednesday, June 28, Lake Travis was 637.67 feet above mean sea level. That’s the lowest it’s been since 2015.

Mansfield Dam Park is the preferred boat ramp for fishing guide Tyler Torwick.

"I'm out here about six days a week right now, sometimes every day," said Torwick, owner of Torwick's Guiding Service. "Most clients are coming from Austin. This is the most convenient to meet at, plus they have a nice dock here, if you're older, have mobility issues, it's easy to get in and out of, so I prefer this one."

Going forward, Torwick and others who frequent the lake are either going to have to shell out for a private ramp or use the remaining public boat ramp at Pace Bend Park.

"I've been dreading this," said Torwick, who noted that the Tournament Point ramp is an ‘unimproved ramp’ with no parking lot or dock. "I've been expecting it, but I didn't think they were going to close it quite yet because there's a little bit left. I think they're closing it a little prematurely, but it's for safety reasons, I get it."

Pace Bend Park is about 20 miles from Mansfield Dam by car. 

According to the LCRA, the minimum lake level that the Tournament Point ramp at Pace Bend Park can function is 631’.