For the first time in six years, the Austin area's Lake Travis is nearly full.
The 65-mile-long reservoir on the Colorado River in Travis and Burnet counties is at 99 percent capacity as of Monday, just one foot below what's considered full (680 feet) and a far cry from levels that plummeted with a persistent drought over the past decade.
Boater Jim Pilotto told Austin television station KVUE he's seen more work on the lake now, more people coming out and more people buying boats.
Nearly a dozen boat ramps shut and businesses struggled during the drought.
Statewide, reservoirs monitored by the Texas Water Development Board are nearly 87 percent full thanks to abundant rains. That's almost 20 percentage points higher than a year ago.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
