Lake Travis back in business for Labor Day after floods cause financial hit

After years of drought, Lake Travis sat at 88% full this weekend. It’s a break in the clouds since flooding in early July devastated the Hill Country.

“I wish it could have filled up under different circumstances,” said Beau Sisul, owner of Lone Star Party Boats. “It is a silver lining that the lake needed to be full.”

Corbin Cornwell, owner of Big Tex Boat Rentals, shuttles his customers from shore to a marina floating in the lake. Water now covers where the parking lot was just two months ago.

“The narrative has been the past two years that the lake is too low or very, very low, and kind of scared people away,” Cornwell said.

“We’re hoping that the lake being full and all the positive news around that is going to carry over and bring us more business,” he added. “Everyone will get to see Lake Travis being full, and see how awesome it is.”

The Independence Day floods shut down Lake Travis for two weeks due to dangerous conditions and high levels of bacteria. 

Sisul said losing Independence Day weekend hurt his small business significantly.

“It’s probably the biggest weekend,” Sisul said, listing Memorial Day and Labor Day as next in line. 

Cornwell said his business lost around $100,000 in revenue from cancellations over the July 4th weekend. 

“That’s enough to get us through the entire winter, pay for our boat slip fees or insurance,” he said. 

Cornwell said his business is growing, though, and as Austinites know, the end of the summer months does not mean the end of summer temperatures.

“I’ve never understood why it’s not super busy: September, October, even in November,” Sisul said. “The water’s still warm. It’s still beautiful out.”