Lake Travis and the Highland Lakes: Flood Control and Water Supply

Lake Travis was created by Mansfield Dam, completed in 1942. It is one of two main water supply reservoirs for the Central Texas region. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) manages the lake and the other Highland Lakes on the Colorado River. LCRA operates dams to move floodwater downstream and monitor the basin with hundreds of automated gauges.

Lake levels can swing dozens of feet in a flood event. The lake's flood storage pool can hold up to about 776,000 additional acre-feet above its normal water supply level. If you live, boat, or recreate on Lake Travis, check real-time levels at hydromet.lcra.org before heading out.