On January 28th, during scheduled maintenance work at Longhorn Dam, one of the nine gates failed in the open position, resulting in a significant drop in the water level of Lady Bird Lake. The malfunction occurred while the gates were being inspected and repaired as part of a Capital Improvement Project, causing the lake’s water level to fall to approximately 2 feet below its normal level. The cause of the gate failure is currently under investigation.

Austin Water crews responded to the failed gate, working diligently to address the issue. Austin Water contractors were able to manually stop the flow of water late Tuesday evening by installing a series of temporary barriers known as stop-logs. These stop-logs sealed the gate and helped stabilize the water level at Lady Bird Lake. The temporary stop-logs will remain in place until permanent repairs until permanent repairs, which are currently underway, are completed. Austin Water and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) have coordinated to gradually refill Lady Bird Lake to its normal. This process involved a gradual rise of approximately 3 to 4 inches per hour.

Due to the initial repair efforts, South Pleasant Valley Road, between Cesar Chavez Street and South Lakeshore Boulevard, was closed to both motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic in both directions. However, the road was reopened to normal traffic.

Austin Water values the collaboration with the City of Austin’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Watershed Protection Department, Travis County, Bastrop County, the City of Bastrop, the LCRA, and the Austin community who united during this event.