Auxiliary Patrol on Lake Travis, Texas

LAKE TRAVIS, Texas - Recently, while practicing expanding square search patterns on Lake Travis, Auxiliary Facility “Texas 1” with Coxswain AI Bohne, crew members Cooper Aston, Allen Mark, and crew trainee Larry Vangoethern was approached by a Travis County (TX) Sheriff patrol boat and asked for help with traffic control in the sector from Starnes Island through Valente Beach Marina.

Our instructions were to turn back all southbound recreational boats from entering the main body of the lake where firefighting tanker planes were expected to land and scoop up water in the undercarriage water compartments for dropping on the wildfires raging in the local area.

The planes need a clear landing area and the large planes and civilian boats would be in danger.  Coxswain AI Bohne conferred with the crew and after completing the risk assessment protocol, all decided we could comply with this request and took station in the aforementioned area.

We picked up crew trainee Si Dunn during a refueling stop, briefing him on the mission and then returning to our station. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Jonestown police, Travis County Sheriff, LCRA officers, and even Sea Tow patrol boats were tasked to participate in blockading the expected landing area throughout the day.

Auxiliarist Cooper Aston maintaining lookout for oncoming boats.

It was a very busy holiday weekend for all participating vessels. Perfect visibility due to a high pressure area that had been sitting over Central Texas for months.  Gusty winds from the North, due to a recent cold front passage, was factored into our assessment.

The clear sky was smoke colored in all directions due to the many wildfires in the surrounding area.  To the South there were constant trips from helicopters dipping their water containers on long lines into Lake Travis for application to the fires in neighborhoods to the south of the main body of the lake.

Two tanker planes landed without incident in the area north of Mansfield Dam and scooped up water while still at speed, taking back off when their tanks were filled, the evolution looked just like a touch and go landing but on the water.

The crew of “Texas 1” and crew intercepted 26 civilian boats in the course of the day warning them of the closed section of the lake and the reasons for the closure.  All civilian boats were cooperative even though this interruption in their holiday plans and routes clearly was inconvenient.

At the end of our mission time we notified the nearest police boat and exited the area putting our boat in the barn and ending the day with the satisfaction of a worthy mission safely accomplished.

Flotilla 75 serves the Austin, Texas area and is part of Division 7, District 8 Central Region.   Flotilla 75 maintains a blog Water Everywhere News and Comments About Recreational Boating Safety on its efforts to promote recreational boating safety in America’s inland and coastal waters near Austin, TX.

 

 

Auxiliarist advising boater of current situation.		Auxiliarists watching firefighting air tanker flying over Lake Travis.		Auxiliarist hailing boat during patrol.

 

  

~mg 03-02-12