There are a series of graphs, each covering 10 years or so of the history of the lake, starting when it was completed in 1940....  Jim Spencer at KXAN TV in Austin put me on to the web pages with the rainfall data, and provided the El Nino/La Nina year data.   The onset of each pattern is indicated as January of the year, but when it actually started (and ended) is not known to me.   My home's foundation base elevation is at 695 ft ASL, hence the indicator line so that it is clear how many times it would have gotten wet since the lake was created - not much<GG> (FOUR TIMES, actually)
Note:  Every flood above 695 (four of them) came within about a year of the start of an El Nino.  But not every El Nino resulted in a flood.  Obviously there are other factors that control floods that I haven't found to add to the graph...

Also, thanks very much to the folks at LCRA for sending me the data so that I could graph it.



1940 through October of 53 (note the realllllll big drought! )  and what a rain in September of 52 !!!


November 53 through December 64 - note that 11 years after the last drought, another one. (sunspots, anyone?)
The first flood that would have touched my foundation (696)


Feb '65 through March of 76  (note no drought in 74?)


April 76 through March of 87


OK, finally we have the floods.  38 years after the first flood, we have two in a month, then the fourth 5 years later.

and the entire life of the lake in one graph:

remember, starts in 1940 and goes 59 years forward, to September of 98.
Compare the peaks and troughs with the Austin Monthly Rainfall below:
(Remember that Austin is  NOT  in the Lake Travis tributary system)

 
 

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