Driving on RM 620, I see islands sticking out of the lake. Is the drought returning?

Reader, as a resident of the Lake Travis area, I share your commute and your concerns.

[caption id="attachment_256854" align="alignright" width="97"] Leslee Bassman[/caption]

According to Bob Rose, chief meteorologist for the Lower Colorado River Authority, Travis County is not in a  drought, citing the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“The weather here has been drier than normal for the past two months, but we are not in a La Nina pattern, the pattern that often brings droughts to our area,” he said. “The latest long-range forecasts call for near-normal to slight-above-normal rainfall this fall. “

Parts of Sometimes Island begin to be visible when the level of Lake Travis hits about 676 feet above mean sea level, about where it is now, he said on July 7.

“It’s important to note that level is just 5 feet below the lake’s full level of 681 feet msl,” Rose said. “ Lake Travis is still 92 percent full [as of July 7].”

The decline in lake levels is typical for this time of year, as water use and evaporation increase as temperatures rise, he said. On average, levels in Lake Travis in July, August and September are the lowest of the year. July also is typically our driest month of the year, with average rainfall of under 2 inches, he said.