Lakes Buchanan, Travis rise after May rains

May's frequent rains delivered welcome relief to the region's parched lakes, Austin's main source of water.

Why it matters: Central Texas enters the hotter, drier summer months in a better position than last year, when drought brought water restrictions on car washing, the operations of ornamental fountains and even how restaurants served glasses of water.

Yes, but: May was not a drought-buster.

The big picture: Lakes Buchanan and Travis are 56% full . On May 1, they were 42% full.

• Lake Buchanan has risen almost 14 feet over the past month; Lake Travis has risen just over 4 feet during that time.

Driving the news: The Lower Colorado River Authority, the quasi-governmental entity that manages the Highland Lakes, on Monday dialed down its drought response from stage 2 to stage 1.

• Under Stage 1, LCRA water customers, including the city of Austin, are still asked to implement mandatory restrictions to limit water use.

What they're saying: John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of water, urged conservation.

• "These rains were welcome and it's good to see our water supply reservoirs at higher levels, but the reservoirs are still stressed from years of drought," he said in a statement.

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