Rain in Llano County brings some relief downstream

LLANO COUNTY, Texas - Rain from this week brought some relief for lake levels in Central Texas.

Llano County got four to six inches of rain on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and that flows downstream. 

"Finally, the rains fell in the proper spot to help fill up the lakes in some locations," Zack Shields, FOX 7 Austin meteorologist, said. "The Llano River, the Sandy Creek did make it to minor flood stage. It was the best kind of flood where no homes were threatened, and no one was injured. All that rainwater is going into Lake Travis."

Data from the Lower Colorado River Authority shows Lake Travis rose about two feet in the last week. It's currently at 642 feet. Last week it was at 640 feet. It's only 49 percent full. 

RELATED: Storms in Llano County bring lots of rain, causing flooding

"This week, the bullseye for the heaviest rains in the shade of purple and reds [on the map] happened in Llano County, Gillespie County and Blanco County. That is where we find the Llano River, Sandy Creek, and the Perdernales. Those creeks and rivers eventually flow into Lake Travis, and that's when our lake levels begin to go up," Shields said.

However, nine out of the twelve boat ramps on Lake Travis are closed due to low water levels.

"We've had some decent rain on and off for the last couple of months, and that is why much of the area is drought free, but we still have a long ways to go to fill up the lakes. They are still very low and below average for September," Shields said.

The September average is 662 feet. 

While Lake Travis has seen some improvement, there's not much change in Lake Buchanan. 

"We didn't see that widespread heavy rain across the northern Hill Country. That is where we need the rain to fall if Lake Buchanan is going to go up. Lake Buchanan is holding steady, Lake Travis going up a little bit," Shields said.

Every boat ramp has a different minimum lake level to open. For more information, click here.