Officials ask people to be 'lake wise' this weekend

With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, county officials are putting forth new efforts to keep people safe.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – This weekend, members of the Travis County Sheriff's Office and the Lower Colorado River Authority are handing out informational materials about Lake Travis and the dangers underneath.

With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, county officials are putting forth new efforts to keep people safe in the water by trying to catch them before going in. This effort is a part of the new “Be Lake Wise” campaign.

“Lake Travis is very unique, and because of that, we see that when we have people that aren’t familiar with the lake, they come out, and we experience rock ledges. We experience hazards that are under the water. There's just a lot of unique pieces,” Major Craig Smith with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities also wanted to remind people familiar with Lake Travis that current low-water levels are changing the makeup of the lake—meaning areas that weren't hazardous last year might be this year.

Officials said it was important to remain diligent.