Austin remains in drought, but a very, very wet April has replenished waterways crucial for drinking water, recreational activity, farming and manufacturing.

Why it matters: Upriver areas, home to one of Central Texas' major reservoirs, are out of drought, making heavy water restrictions unlikely this summer.

The latest: More rain is expected this morning. Rain and storm chances increase throughout the day, Chris Morris, meteorologist with the Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service office, tells Axios.

• A flood watch is in effect until 9pm. Drivers could see dangerous conditions for morning and evening commutes, Morris says.

State of play: Despite April's rains, the U.S. Drought Monitor map released yesterday designates much of Travis County as experiencing "extreme drought," the second-most severe level of drought.

• That's because of where the rain has fallen. Much of the downpours have been northwest of Austin, in the upper parts of the Colorado River basin.
• In Lampasas, for example, 70 miles northwest of Austin, 10.78 inches of rain fell in April, per data from the Lower Colorado River Authority, the nonprofit utility that manages the region's dams.

The intrigue: Areas north and northwest of Austin, such as Llano County, home to major Central Texas reservoir Lake Buchanan, are usually the ones struggling through drought — and the rice-growing regions to the southeast are water-rich.

• But the latest drought monitor map shows the reverse.

By the numbers: Lake Travis is 74% full and Lake Buchanan is 96% full.

• The downriver Arbuckle Reservoir, crucial for farming interests, is 97% full.

Stunning stat: Through midnight yesterday, 4.97 inches fell at Camp Mabry in April — or more than 2 inches more than normal.

Yes, but: Austin is still trailing, year to date, on normal precipitation totals.

What's next: Meteorologists predict above-normal rainfall for Central Texas over the next month.

The bottom line: "This rainfall is going to be welcome to the drought situation. Every little bit helps," Morris tells Axios. "But we do still have a multiyear deficit that we're still making up for."

Camp Mystic won't reopen for summer 2026 after withdrawing its license renewal application following the 2025 flood that killed 27 girls.

Why it matters: The announcement yesterday comes as families still seek answers on what went wrong and whether camp leaders were sufficiently prepared for the rapid flooding that overtook campers.

Catch up quick: The Eastland family, which has long operated the camp, wanted to reopen another site that is roughly 2 miles from the site where the girls died, saying 850 families have enrolled for this summer.

• That drew opposition from victims' families and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

The latest: The decision to keep the camp closed followed two days of testimony at the Texas Capitol, where lawmakers questioned the family's handling of the disaster and whether it should be allowed to reopen, according to KSAT.

What they're saying: "Today is not about camp operations. It is about respect for the families, accountability to the public and reverence for the memory of the lives lost," a Camp Mystic statement obtained by KSAT said.

🏗️ A historic house will be incorporated into the Austin Convention Center redevelopment plans. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

🤖 TerraFirma, an artificial intelligence and robotics company, is relocating its headquarters from Austin to Buda. (Community Impact)

✊ Austin Pride announced its theme for this year's festival will be "Viva La Resistencia." (KXAN)

Folk-blues musician Shakey Graves is a very busy man.

Why it matters: Nearly 40 years old, he leads a new generation of Austin musicians even as he is a father to a young child.

• His new album, "Fondness, etc.," will be released May 15 and he's performing this weekend at KUT Fest.
• His solo, virtuosic, multi-instrumental rendition of "Roll the Bones" a dozen years ago remains mesmerizing. (Sample comment on YouTube: "The eye contact in this owes me child support.")

We caught up recently with Graves to talk about the new album — and as part of our series on the ideal Austin day.

How does your ideal day start out?

"I wake up at 6:45am to take my kid into town, to her early pre-pre-school. I'll eat some of the scraps of the breakfast I make for her."

What happens after drop-off?

"Ideally, I go from that to playing at Rippner Tennis in South Austin. After that, I'm at Bouldin Creek Cafe. I grew up around the corner from there. I order the kool hummus sandwich — but hold the hummus. It's basically just a salad and chipotle-pecan pesto on a bun."

What will you do for fun?

"I go to American Drifter, the vintage store behind Bouldin, where I've had incredible success. I've bought two entire western suits from there that fit me like a glove."

More of his day — and his thoughts on balancing touring with fatherhood

Answer correctly these three questions, pulled from this week's newsletters, and you could win a shoutout in our Monday edition — also known as unfathomable fame.

📬 Just reply to this email.

1. Austin-raised actor Ben McKenzie just released a new documentary he directed. What's it about?
2. What long-time Austin candy maker is shutting down?
3. The University of Texas this week ousted which radio station's upcoming inaugural festival from its campus? (The event will go on at Central Machine Works on Saturday.)