On Saturday, July 24, at 1:30 PM, the annual meeting of the Protect Lake Travis Association (PLTA) will be held. The meeting will be in the Town Hall at Travis County Satellite 2 Offices, 4501 FM 620 North, next to Mansfield Dam.

PLTA will have a guest speaker from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to give our members an update on the "new" Lake Travis Recreation Study and current boat traffic information (see related story on page two of this newsletter) and an update on the marina situation on Lake Travis -- all the new permits issued and pending, and the current review being done by LCRA staff of the Marina Ordinance.

Other items to be considered at this meeting will be the counting of the ballots for PLTA's Directors election, election of officers, update on the Lago Vista wastewater permit, PLTA's financial report, and other items of interest to our members. If you have not attended a PLTA Annual Meeting, or it has been a while, please come join us on July 24. It will be informative and interesting!

Lake Marble Falls is a run-of-the-river reservoir. Seasonal algae blooms in early Spring and Summer were the result of an extended photoperiod and available nutrients. The state's stream standards and screening criteria for Lake Marble Falls indicate a problem with elevated chlorophyll levels and one incident that involved low dissolved oxygen. No fish kills were reported. Lake Marble Falls is listed as part of our watershed.

Lake Travis continues to be one of the premier underwater diving locations in the state. In 1998, the Texas Natural Resources and Conservation Commission (TNRCC) reported that Lake Travis was the clearest lake in Texas (again!). Lake Travis is beginning its tenth year as Texas' clearest lake. Visibility runs from 12 feet to greater than 30 feet, depending on the time of year.

A recurring problem on Lake Travis is one of poor oxygen levels in deeper water during the summer. Like many Texas reservoirs, Travis becomes stratified during the summer. Thermal stratification, with warm, oxygen-rich water floating on top of cooler, oxygen-poor water, sometimes leads to fish kills. The LCRA plans to begin a rehabilitation project on the turbines within Mansfield Dam this summer. When completed, air will be injected into the water during hydrogeneration. This oxygenation should prevent future downstream fish kills that have occurred occasionally on Lake Austin below Mansfield Dam during releases of Lake Travis water.

Ambient water quality conditions along the Pedernales River continue to meet the state's stream standards. However, elevated nutrients, fecal bacteria and sediment concentrations are experienced immediately following rainfall events. These conditions usually return to normal within a few days. The Pedernales River, a major inflow into Lake Travis, continues to be one of the cleanest rivers in the Colorado basin.

Many people using Lake Travis boat ramps will have a chance to speak up about problems they see facing recreational use of our popular lake. The Lower Colorado River Authority, which is responsible for managing the Highland Lakes, has begun a study to get updated information on how Lake Travis is used. The study will help determine whether additional actions may be needed to address safety or other problems identified in the study.

As a first step, experts hired by the LCRA began conducting surveys of people using Lake Travis boat ramps starting Memorial Day weekend. In June, a randomly selected group of shoreline property owners and people with boats at local marinas will get surveys in the mail.

The LCRA Board of Directors recently approved a contract for staff to hire Park Studies, Inc., of Colorado to conduct recreational boating studies for lakes Travis and Marble Falls. "As the population of the region has grown, more and more people have been drawn to the Highland Lakes, especially Lake Travis, for recreation," said Donna Brasher, executive manager of LCRA's Community Services division.

"Our goal is to make every recreational experience on Lake Travis a safe and enjoyable one. Given the growth, that's not an easy task," said Terry Colgan, LCRA project manager. The Lake Travis study is an update of one conducted in 1995 and that initial study was used by the LCRA to develop a management action plan that included stepped-up enforcement of boating laws, increased boater education and other measures aimed at making the lake safer and more user-friendly.

"In the updated study, we will be looking for trends," Colgan said. "We want to know where people are going on the lake and where they aren't going, and why. We want to know what is upsetting people and what is working and what isn't."

A preliminary version of the updated Lake Travis management action plan is to be completed this summer. After briefing the LCRA Board on the proposed plan in early September, LCRA staff will hold workshops at Lake Travis to get public comment. LCRA staff then anticipates taking the updated plan to the LCRA Board for final approval in December.

The Lake Marble Falls study will be used to produce a preliminary management plan to be ready for public comment by next spring and for LCRA Board action in Summer of 2000. Completion of the Lake Marble Falls plan will fulfill LCRA's commitment to conduct studies and plans for all the Highland Lakes under its jurisdiction. For more information of the Lake Travis and Lake Marble Falls studies, contact Terry Colgan at 1-800-776-5272, ext. 4036, or e-mail him at tcolgan@lcra.org. Written comments about future regulations on Lake Travis will be accepted through July_ Address your letters to Terry Colgan, P.O. Box 220, Austin, Texas, 78767-0220. Or you can FAX him at (512) 473-4066.

*June 15 & 16 (Tue & Wed) 6 to 9:00 PM, Travis County Satellite 2, Highway 620 by Mansfield Dam.

*July 6 & 7 (Tue & Wed) 6 to 9:00 PM, Travis County Satellite 2, Highway 620 by Mansfield Dam.

*August 17 & 18 (Tue & Wed) 6 to 9:00 PM, Travis County Satellite 2, Highway 620 by Mansfield Dam.

PERSONAL WATER CRAFT (PWC) CLASSES: For dates and information, call.

To register for all of the classes, call Les Witcher, LCRA Public Safety, at (512) 473-3286 or (800) 776-5272, ext. 3286.

There is now a $13.00 per person registration fee for the PWC classes. All materials are furnished for certification, but students must be at least 12 years old. Under 12 may take the course but cannot be certified. Please note: 13, 14 and 15 year olds must take and pass this type of class to legally operate a boat or PWC in Texas.

According to LCRA anyone receiving a water safety citation must now take and pass a class of this type and pay their fine before they may legally operate a boat or PWC. Many boat insurance companies give discounts for the successful completion of these classes.

Check your mailing label to see if your membership dues need to be renewed. The date you see after your name is the date your membership expires. Staying current on your membership dues enables PLTA to stay active in all the problems that come up that can adversely effect your Lake Travis! Please remember that donations of any amount can be made at any time. PLTA is a 501.c.3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

This is also the time of year for PLTA's annual election of directors to our board. The PLTA Board of Directors consist of up to nine (9) members who serve one (1) year terms and are volunteers. The top nine (9) vote getters will be the new board. Write-ins are acceptable as long as the person being nominated would be willing to serve on this volunteer board and is a paid member of PLTA. To vote on the directors you must be a member in good standing -- a dues paid member.

Here is the ballot for FY '99-00: Vote for 9 only and return by July 24
 

Bob Vann	Taylor Ollmann	Bill Sauber
Ken Fossler	Sam Warrington	Write-in:
Mary Anne Krohn	John K. Strickland, Jr.	Write-in:
Write-in:	Write-in:

( )Enclosed is my annual dues of $10                                     Mail to: Protect Lake Travis Association
( ) Enclosed is my donation of $                                                              10801 Rush Rd.
( ) Enclosed is my Life Membership dues of $500                                 Austin, TX 78732

Your Name:                                                                                   Home Phone:
Address:                                                                                        Work Phone:
City, State, Zip:                                                                              FAX Number
Email:

The Highland Lakes are great for boaters, swimmers, skiers, and divers. But if you do not use common sense when you share the water with others, the lakes can be deadly.

Pay attention to the 20 mph night boating speed guideline on the Highland Lakes. Keep a watchful eye over children who are in or near the water. Don't be reckless. Anyone found guilty of reckless boat operation is required to take a boater education course.

*Do not mix alcohol and boats.

For a free water safety kit, call the Lower Colorado River Authority at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 3365, or (512) 473-3365. To report excessive watercraft noise call (512) 473-3286.

When you shop at Randalls, before the cashier starts to check your purchases out, show them your card and tell them that you want #392 on it. PLTA has received several nice checks from Randalls thanks to those members and friends that use the card.

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