Canyon Lake Reservoir remains reliable source

Drought, increased use have yet to dent projections into next decade

Even as drought and population growth strain the water supply in Central and South Texas, residents and businesses getting theirs from Canyon Lake should be set for at least the next decade, according to the water utility that serves them.

After a year that starved Texas of water and hit it with record-high temperatures, Canyon Lake sank to its lowest level since 2011, when it fell below 79 percent of its capacity. Since January 2022, the lake has dropped 10 feet — from nearly full to nearly 80 percent of its capacity.

The water company says it’s always concerned about any drop, but the lake is faring bet

ter than other reservoirs. Medina Lake, for instance, has fallen to just 6.2 percent capacity.

“Canyon Lake Reservoir has always been in pretty good shape,” said Larry Jackson, director of customer service and communications at Canyon Lake Water Service Co. “It usually fluctuates between 10 or so feet every year, but it’s nothing like Travis or Medina Lake, especially when those lakes drop so much.”

Of the seven counties the investor-owned utility provides with water and wastewater services, Comal County accounts for the largest chunk of its customers. The company provides water to just over 68,000 residents there, with nearly 23,000 service connections.

The utility projects that the population it serves in Comal County will double by 2050. That’s been on the mind of David Vollbrecht, assistant county engineer for Comal County.

“Perhaps we’ll peak in the next 20 years, and then population will start falling off again because we’re just going to have too many people in Comal County, and people won’t want to come here anymore,” Vollbrecht said.

Water report

Every three years, Canyon Lake Water Service Company must show Comal County that it will be able to provide enough water to meet its customers’ current and projected demand. At the end of last year, county commissioners approved the utility’s latest report on water availability. The move allows the commissioners

court to begin approving new subdivisions that will connect to the water utility in the next three years.

The process helps keep providers from promising to deliver water they don’t have, Vollbrecht said.

“That’s a position we don’t want to be in” here, he said. “You have to stay ahead of it.”

Conservation is key

Even though there is enough clean drinking water for the future, Jackson said, that doesn’t

mean that residents should ignore usage restrictions that aim to blunt the impact of drought. The same goes for irrigation, which uses most of the fresh water the utility provides.

Conservation is especially

important during the summer months, when demand is about as high as 70 percent, largely because of lawn-watering and landscaping.

“Water restrictions become really critical during those times,” Jackson said.

Elena Bruess writes for the Express-news through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Reportforamerica.org. elena.bruess@expressnews.net

Photos by William Luther/staff photographer Canyon Lake’s Cranes Mill marina is seen Jan. 5. Canyon Lake is currently 10 feet low and just 79.4 percent full, according to the Texas Water Development Board’s Water Data for Texas website, causing numerous ramp closures.

The Cranes Mill fishing dock barely reaches the water Jan. 5 as Canyon Lake water levels continue to drop. Despite the lower levels, officials say it will continue to be a goud source.

Photos by William Luther/staff photographer SJWTX’S claricone water clarifiers work at the Park Shores road facility.

Canyon Lake’s Cranes Mill marina. Comal County accounts for the largest chunk of customers.