Area lakes and reservoirs seeing some improvement following recent rains

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It’s no secret that the prolonged drought has taken its toll on area area lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.

However, recent rains in late July have made for *some* improvements to water levels. Here’s an update:

KEY POINTS

  • Multi-inch rainfall totals have increased river stream flows, Edwards Aquifer and some reservoir levels
  • Medina Lake has risen over five feet since Monday but still has a long way to go
  • While not as impressive, there are slight improvements to Canyon Lake and Lake Amistad
  • Stream flow is higher for parts of the Frio, Medina, and Guadalupe rivers

MEDINA LAKE

  • Has risen approximately 5.5 feet since Monday, July 22
  • Has gone from 2.2% full to 3.5% full over the past week
  • Still a very long way to go, but nice to see this trend in the right direction

It’s worth noting that Medina Lake is one of the first places to start showing stress from drought. Here’s an explainer on why from a previous article written by Meteorologist Justin Horne:

Its original design was for irrigation for area farmers. Recreation was an afterthought. Regardless, Medina is often the first place to start showing the stresses of a drought. Through irrigation practices and dam releases, seepage into the aquifer, and a small watershed, the reservoir often shows big ups and downs.

Meteorologist Justin Horne

CANYON LAKE

  • While not as impressive of a jump, Canyon Lake’s water level has managed to rise about a foot
  • Has risen from 55.3% full to 56.7% full over the past week
  • Canyon Lake is more regulated than Medina Lake — it’s operated by the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority and United States Army Corps — which helps it not be as susceptible to drought
  • The lake has dropped to record-low levels as of late

Slight improvements to Lake Amistad’s water level have been noted over the past week, rising from 24% full to 24.8% full.

Unfortunately, Choke Canyon hasn’t seen much change and has actually fallen from 21.3% full to 21.2% full over the past seven days.

AREA RIVERS

Stream flows for area rivers like the Frio, Medina, and Guadalupe have increased due to these recent rains.

Here’s a look at the latest NOAA data for the Guadalupe River near Spring Branch:

Guadalupe River near Spring Branch (NOAA)

After virtually no flow earlier this week, the flow has drastically increased with the projected rate around 400 to 600 cubic feet per second into the upcoming weekend.

Here’s a look at the latest NOAA data for the Frio River near Concan:

Frio River at Concan (NOAA)

Improvements to stream flow have also been noted recently with a current flow rate around 50 cubic feet per second as of Thursday afternoon. Still a slow float, but an improvement, nonetheless!

We’ll keep you posted on any changes in the days ahead with a few more rain chances in the forecast.