Area creeks, rivers, and lakes have seen some of their biggest rises in years because of runoff from recent rains.
The rains won't bust a years-long drought but are welcome relief, like to those who own waterfront property in the region.
The drought has left large limestone outcroppings on area waterways, docks above nothing but sand, boat ramps that lead to no water, and some caves exposed.
San Antonio has been placed under flood watches and advisories, especially for small creeks and streams, a couple of times this week, mostly recently on Wednesday after scattered showers broke out again. Motorists should use caution at low water crossings.
But the bigger news has been a five-foot rise over two days this week on Medina Lake. It was still about 87 feet below its full pool of 1,062 mean sea level. The lake on Wednesday had risen to about 3% of its full capacity, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Some of the heaviest rains this week have fallen around the lake. Nearly nine inches of rain have fallen around Bandera and about seven inches have fallen on Medina, both to the north of the lake. The runoff from those rains can enter the Medina River, which feeds the lake.
Nearly four inches of rain has fallen closer to the lake's shores, such as in the community of Lakehills.
The Medina River is flowing! 🙌🏻 This is the scene just north of Lakehills, with a nice flow of water heading into Medina Lake. Won’t fill the lake, but good to see this momentum. #txwx @News4SA @KABBFOX29 @natwxdesk pic.twitter.com/iSrKSYKh9a
— Joe DeCarlo WX (@joedecarloWX) July 24, 2024
The Guadalupe River has been on the rise too after heavy rains along its upper watershed this week. It was expected to feed into Canyon Lake and begin boosting its level by Wednesday night. Up to four and five inches of rain fell on or around the lake itself.
As of Wednesday, the Texas Water Development Board reported Canyon Lake was 25 feet below its full pool of 909 feet mean sea level and at 55% of its full capacity. It hit an all-time record low this summer.
Clay Church, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, — which manages the lake — said this week's rains will help the lake level a little.
"This rain that we have received over the last 24, 30 hours, or so, has been very beneficial, but unfortunately, it's not going to raise levels on Canyon Lake all that much — probably see an increase of 12 to 18 inches in actual lake levels," he said.
Church said only two of the lake's more than 20 public access boat ramps are open due to the low lake level. One is at the Comal County-operated Canyon Park and the other is at the privately-operated Canyon Lake Marina.
Church advised water recreationists, especially boaters, to wear Coast Guard approved life vests on the lake. He said the lake's ever-changing topography because of the drought can be dangerous even to experienced boaters. Objects once submerged now stick out above the water line.
He also said the public should stay out of lakeside caves exposed by dropping water levels.
The good news for area waterways and those who live on them is that strong rain chances remain through the weekend due to a trough over South Texas.
"That upper-level trough will stay around the area for a bit, so it's going to keep us with slightly cooler temperatures and elevated rainfall chances," said Nick Hampshire, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New Braunfels.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the weather service reported rain was likely to fall on half the region each day through Sunday.
