Lake Austin drawdown canceled after concerns from business owners
City of Austin cancels drawdown of Lake Austin
The City of Austin has canceled a drawdown of Lake Austin after business owners expressed concerns about the economic impact.
AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin has canceled a drawdown of Lake Austin after business owners expressed concerns about the economic impact.
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Lake Austin business owners concerned about economic impact of lake drawdown in the fall
Next month, Lake Austin will be lowered about a dozen feet for maintenance, but business owners on the lake say they're going to take a big economic hit with the timing of it.
Lake Austin 2026 drawdown canceled
The backstory:
The drawdown was originally planned for mid-October through the end of November, so property owners could do maintenance.
However, many business owners said fall is their busy season, and they would have lost a lot of money.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Some businesses upset with Lake Austin draw down
Next month, Lake Austin will be lowered about a dozen feet for maintenance, but business owners on the lake say they're going to take a big economic hit with the timing of it.
The city considered postponing the drawdown to December, but there were still concerns with impacts on holiday activities.
The Lower Colorado River Authority does not do drawdowns in January anymore to save energy in case there is a winter storm, because dams use a lot of power.
Given all the information, the city will not do a 2026 drawdown.
"City staff will continue evaluating economic, operational, environmental and community considerations associated with potential future drawdowns, and we will remain engaged with LCRA and Lake Austin stakeholders as future opportunities are considered," Assistant City Manager Mike Rogers said. "There have been substantial efforts from the community to help problem solve and identify potential solutions, and we truly appreciate their continued collaboration."
Business owners on Lake Austin speak out
What they're saying:
"There's definitely been an impact on our customers and some of our revenue. However, this also helps us be able to operate throughout the fall and into the winter when we start doing our holiday events," Shawn Smith, owner of Austin Rental Boats and Lake Austin Lights, said. "It's definitely been a blessing in that, especially with our staff. There were 150 plus jobs amongst the businesses down here and those jobs are saved now."
Business managers have also had to tell customers one thing, then the opposite.
"I was trying to work with all of our 168 occupants over at Lake Austin Marina to coordinate who would have been able to leave their boat in their boat slip and who couldn't leave their boat there," Tara Carr, manager of Lake Austin Marina, said.
While business owners say the fall drawdown cancellation is a relief, it doesn't solve everything. Some businesses already had cancellations they can't reschedule. Dock repairs still can't happen.
"There are some upset customers that had cancelations that were reaching back out, but ultimately I think it's a good thing. The work's not over. It's not time to celebrate. There's still a major hydrilla issue out on the lake that needs to be addressed," Smith said.
"There's also people who are very worried about the current state of hydrilla how it's come back post the flooding events from this summer and what that's going to look like without the drawdown, which if anything, I think says the city needs to maybe communicate more about what those plans are moving forward," Carr said.
"We're hoping that next year and the further drawdowns that will happen in the future will happen in a timely matter where we have proper notice," Smith said.
The Source: Information from the City of Austin, Shawn Smith, owner of Austin Rental Boats and Lake Austin Lights, Tara Carr, manager of Lake Austin Marina, said, previous coverage and reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen