Central Texas is in a drought.

"The drought began earlier this year, when really back in spring, when rain just cut off. And we never really got our spring rains. Also, this fall we never really got our rains as well. So, it's been an unusually dry year," Lower Colorado River Authority meteorologist Bob Rose said.

Without rain, Lake Travis is only 75 percent full and it could get worse, before it gets better.

"The latest forecasts and trends that we've been looking at, don't really show much improvement through the winter months and even going into the spring. We are in a dry pattern that will probably last well into 2006," Rose said.

These dry weather patterns hit Central Texas every three or four years, usually followed by an extra-wet year.

But, because the LCRA can't be sure, it's asking the public to start conserving water now – in winter.

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	LCRA warning Central Texas is currently in a drought and the LCRA wants people to conserve water.

"During the winter, most people don't think about the water, because we're not watering our lawns that much. There really isn't that much outside consumption. But, once we get into spring, if we haven't had a lot of rain, people are going to start watering their lawns, and the water levels of the lakes are going to go down much faster," Rose said.

The city of Austin counts on water from Lake Austin.

"If we got into a very serious situation, which would be a lot lower levels than we have right now, we would implement a mandatory program, but we are no where near that and have no plans to do that now," city of Austin Water Conservation Program Manager Tony Gregg said.

The last time lake levels dropped to this level was 1999. The worst year on record was 1951. As for 2006, it's a matter of wait and see.