The month of September tied for the third driest on record in Austin. It is already having an impact on everything from lake levels to fall foliage.

Lake Travis is more that 10 feet below where it normally is this time of year. That means boaters have to be extra careful

"Over the summer it has dropped quite a bit," said Kyle Sanquinet, boater. "You have to watch out for the islands that are popping up."

Lake Travis is dropping about a foot every two weeks. Lake Buchanan is dropping a foot every week.

Even though the lower lake levels are making it a little more difficult for people who use the lake for recreation, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) officials say they do not believe they will have to regulate the amount of water that people that use.

"It looks like with our projections that we are going to have enough water where we don't have to curtail water users like the irrigation farmers downstream," said Krista Umsheid, LCRA spokesperson.

The sunny warm days and cool nights are giving Central Texas a head start with fall foliage.

Damon Waitt with the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center says droughts don't always hurt fall colors.

"A lot of botanists believe enough starch is produced even in drought years for the pigments to be produced and still have a good fall season, so you can still see fall colors evening during dry years," Waitt said.

The mandatory two day watering schedules in Austin ended this week.

LCRA says the lakes are full enough that they don't anticipate having to put additional restrictions on their residential users.