Lake Travis Full for the First Time Since May 2010

Since May 2010, the dramatic weather experiences of the Hill Country have left its mark on the beloved Lake Travis. Now, however, it is mere inches from being full for the first time.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that Lake Travis is on perfect track to reach the ideal elevation of 681 feet above sea level. The heavy rains that have plagued the Hill Country are to thank for this rapid and needed rise in water levels.

Researchers are pointing to this milestone as a marker of success for the Hill Country because “if ever there was a signal that Central Texas has emerged from the drought, Lake Travis is it.”

Following the last time it was full in May 2010, the five years since have been plagued with an extended drought, which even brought Lake Buchanan, one of the main reservoirs, to “their lowest level in more than half a century.”

However, experts urge residents to not believe they’re out of the woods yet as March is one sticky month for weather across much of Texas. However, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed that “the Austin metro area [is] drought-free and only 11.4 percent of the state, mostly in the Panhandle and West Texas, [is] abnormally dry.”