Quantcast

Water Trouble

Lady Bird Lake levels drop 2 feet due to Longhorn Dam failure

Lady Bird Lake Austin
The lake will be gradually refilled in a time frame that's still to be determined. Photo courtesy of KVUE

Levels at Lady Bird Lake dropped two feet after a gate at Longhorn Dam failed while in the open position on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Austin Water, crews were performing scheduled work when one of the nine gates failed, causing the lake level to begin dropping. As of 2 pm, the water level was down by one foot and was continuing to drop. By around 5 pm, the lake had dropped two feet.

Crews were able to seal the gate and manually stop the flow of water late Tuesday evening. A series of temporary barriers called stop-logs were installed, which sealed the gate and helped stabilize water levels at Lady Bird Lake, Austin Water said.

The temporary stop-logs will remain in place for several months until permanent repairs can be completed. Austin Water is working with the Lower Colorado River Authority on a timetable for the gradual refill of Lady Bird Lake.

The cause of the failure is under investigation.

--

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

news/city-life