How much water Lake Travis released yesterday
On October 4, 2026, Mansfield Dam released 333.1 million gallons (1,022 acre-feet) from Lake Travis, averaging 515 cfs with a peak of 2,458 cfs.
Enough to fill about 505 Olympic pools
Water released
Sun, Oct 4
333.1million gallons
- Peak
- 2,458cfs
- Average
- 515cfs
- Reported
- 24of 24 hrs CT
Hour by hour
Lake Travis releases over time
Latest · Oct 4
333.1M gal
Avg 588M gal
Drag to inspectDrag to inspect · 20 days
- Avg per day
- 588.4million gal
- Biggest day
- 797.7million gal · Sep 7
- Total · 20 complete days
- 11.77billion gal
- 7-day trend
- Easing29% vs. prior week
Day-by-day releases
Only complete Central-time days are shown. Days with missing hourly readings are withheld.
| Date | M galMillion gallons | Acre-feet | Avg cfs | Peak cfs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
333.1 | 1,022 | 515 | 2,458 | |
268.1 | 823 | 415 | 2,456 | |
478.2 | 1,468 | 740 | 2,541 | |
277.2 | 851 | 429 | 2,541 | |
550.3 | 1,689 | 851 | 2,541 | |
620.1 | 1,903 | 959 | 2,541 | |
550.8 | 1,690 | 852 | 2,541 | |
613.3 | 1,882 | 949 | 2,541 | |
757.1 | 2,323 | 1,171 | 2,541 | |
619.0 | 1,900 | 958 | 2,541 | |
482.0 | 1,479 | 746 | 2,541 | |
619.3 | 1,900 | 958 | 2,541 | |
618.7 | 1,899 | 957 | 2,541 | |
618.7 | 1,899 | 957 | 2,541 |
Reading these numbers
Mansfield Dam holds back Lake Travis and sets how much water flows down the lower Colorado River. Releases climb after heavy rain to draw the lake back toward its 681-foot conservation pool, and shrink during drought to keep water in storage.
Figures come from the Lower Colorado River Authority’s hourly discharge readings, totalled for complete Central-time days. The page checks for new readings every 30 minutes. This is an independent site — for official operations, go to LCRA Hydromet.
- CFS
- Cubic feet per second — the instantaneous discharge rate. 1 cfs held for a day ≈ 646,000 gallons.
- Acre-foot
- Enough water to cover one acre a foot deep — about 326,000 gallons.
- Conservation pool
- 681 ft above sea level — Lake Travis “full” for water supply. Above it, extra water is flood storage and gets released.
Outflow questions
What are Lake Travis outflows?
Outflows are the water released through Mansfield Dam, which impounds Lake Travis. LCRA reports the discharge every hour in cubic feet per second (cfs); this page totals each day into gallons and acre-feet.
Where does water released from Mansfield Dam go?
It flows into Lake Austin, through Tom Miller Dam into Lady Bird Lake, then over Longhorn Dam into the lower Colorado River and on toward Matagorda Bay. Along the way it serves city water supplies, downstream farms, industry, and the river and bay ecosystems.
Why do releases jump after heavy rain?
Lake Travis is the Highland Lakes’ flood-control reservoir. LCRA may begin flood releases when the lake exceeds or is forecast to exceed its 681-foot conservation pool, depending on downstream conditions and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidance, so outflows can climb sharply for days or weeks after a big storm.
Why are releases low during a drought?
When inflows dry up, LCRA releases only what downstream customers and required environmental flows need, keeping as much water as possible stored in the lake.
How often is this outflow data updated?
Checked every 30 minutes. Published totals cover complete Central-time days of hourly LCRA discharge readings, including zero-flow hours. Days with missing hours are withheld; daylight-saving changes produce 23- or 25-hour days. It is an independent site, not an official LCRA product.