In 1985, attendance at Aqua Fest peaked at 252,000. More criticism came at the festival for lack of parking, excessive noise and alcohol abuse issues. This time the rebuke was from residents of the Bouldin Creek neighborhood just south of Auditorium Shores. The opponents of the festival were able to force a non-binding referendum to move Aqua Fest to Lake Walter E. Long in far east Austin. The measure passed but promised corporate support to build a new facility went away as Texas entered an oil bust in the middle of the decade. Aqua Fest stayed at Auditorium Shores.