This afternoon, the Austin Fire Department which does more than show up with the hook and ladder and hoses when you fall asleep in bed with a cigarette, issued the following statement.

The LCRA Emergency Management Team has decided that it is necessary to start moving water ASAP; the flooding upstream and the potential for more rain has made this emergent. At the request of LCRA and the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), the Fire Chief has decided that EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY we are closing Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, and the Colorado River downstream of Longhorn Dam. The closure is until Wednesday, June 1 at noon but we will be evaluating conditions each day. We apologize for the timing and inconvenience but this is beyond our control. Obviously, safety comes first.

Sorry kids, put those inner tubes away.

A watercraft ban had previously been issued for a differing reason:

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) will be conducting a power generation for several days, opening a partial flood gate at Tom Miller Dam. Additional waters will enter City of Austin waterways from those discharged at Mansfield Dam. These conditions will create high and swift waters, making recreational, commercial, and navigational use of Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake near Tom Miller Dam unsafe.

Therefore, at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning (Sunday, May 29), the Fire Chief has authorized the closing of the following:

*Lake Austin downstream of Oyster Landing boat docks to Tom Miller Dam; and
* Lady Bird Lake from Tom Miller Dam to the east end of Redbud Isle.

This order will remain in effect until noon Tuesday, May 31, at which time it will be re-evaluated

Austin Fire Department
Austin Fire Department
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BONUS;  it was only about a month ago when the gate at Mansfield dam was opened for the first time in nine years. Here's some footage.

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