Up to 7 inches of rain fell on the Highland Lakes over the weekend; more coming
This image is from video taken Sept. 9 showing Backbone Creek flowing over the banks at Johnson Park in Marble Falls. Image courtesy of David Greenwell
FROM STAFF REPORTS
MARBLE FALLS — Highland Lakes towns have recorded rainfall totals from under an inch to more than 7 inches since Friday.
The highest recorded amounts fell in southeastern Llano County and southern Burnet County. Horseshoe Bay recorded the most at 7.22 inches since Friday. In the past week, 10.5 inches have fallen in Horseshoe Bay.
Marble Falls is next on the list with 5.3 inches over the weekend and 8.5 inches the past week. That rain caused heavy flows in Backbone Creek in Johnson Park. At an average height last week of 3.75 feet, the creek reached as high as 10.45 feet just after noon Sunday with more than 3,000 cubic-feet per second flowing through the creek. For reference, the creek recorded just 17 cubic-feet per second two hours earlier.
Elsewhere in the Highland Lakes, as of 10 a.m. Monday, rain totals the past three days, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority, were:
- Spicewood: 3.66 inches
- Johnson City: 2.56 inches
- Round Mountain: 3.07 inches
- Kingsland (at 2900 bridge): 1.77 inches
- Burnet: 1.54 inches
- Llano: 0.75 inch
- Buchanan Dam: 0.52 inch
The combined storage for lakes Buchanan and Travis is 1,379,176 acre-feet, or 69 percent full. Lake Buchanan’s lake level is 1,009.88, while Lake Travis is 654.92.
The low level of Lake Travis has forced the closure of six boat ramps on the lake. Three more boat ramps require a minimum lake level of 653 feet to remain open.
Looking ahead, the National Weather Service expects more rain in the Highland Lakes throughout the week. According to their forecast, the area has rain chances of 30-40 percent through Friday with highs expected from 85-88 degrees.