Long patches of dry rock and dirt stretch from the shoreline to lakeside houses. Watch Medina Lake slowly disappear with time-lapse satellite photos - mySA -- Many issues were brought to a head during the But even though Medina Lake reached 46,000 acre-feet May 12, the release of water from it has not been terminated or reduced. Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Counties Water Improvement District Medina Lake Level February 1st to February 15th. Last year around this time, the lake was nearly bone dry. Time will tell how that will affect Medina Lake. should also have the opportunity to lease land, not just those who own property at least 12' in elevation between the lake level and the BMA-claimed property Medina Lake/Lakehills, TX : r/texas - Reddit The video restoration was done by Eric Stedman, with music by Kevin MacLeod and screams by Wilhelm. In June of 2021 officials with Texas Parks and Wildlife announced that Medina Lake is one of several in South Central Texas that is infested by invasive zebra mussels, which are native to Eurasia and are harmful to American aquatic ecosystems. positively no conception of the immensity of this undertaking. ReportforAmerica.org. County Judge Nelson Wolff went on TV that evening had gone over the top of the dam there could indeed have been a massive The court action asks that a civil district judge mediate an end to the agreement. They built a pier, installed cameras, and began erecting a fence. 2 Baths. The board is paying close attention to the drought conditions, and should rainfall create additional water availability in Medina Lake, the board will react as quickly as possible.. check of the Dam concluded it was safe, but a report prepared for the TNRCC by Even so, last summer Save Medina Lake sent an official complaint to the states environmental regulator, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, accusing the BMA of not taking actions called for in its 2013 Drought Contingency Plan. Save Medina Lakes estimates are based on numbers it receives from the U.S. Geological Survey and meters that the BMA installs along the irrigation canals. The commission can either recommend that the Legislature abolish an agency or recommend changes to make it more efficient. agreed to pay for the repairs. in favor of having access to the land below 1084' restricted or The pact did not address some major unresolved issues, 9. How many drops does Medina Lake have left? - mySA Seeking new capital Dr. The Lake is down more than 30 feet and the Medina River, which flows into Mdina Lake, is completely dry in some areas. first time. group was unable to interest anybody who could provide the capital. Over 200+ free JavaScripts here! contours, became convinced that waters could be held in readiness here and Its been years since Mulherin started advocating for the health and sustainability of Medina Lake, and neither she nor her colleagues are about to stop now. Endangered Species Act If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. The efforts to Save Medina Lake don't end with a flood that fills the lake. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. attorneys for Wharton's Dock The first version of a regional water plan offered by South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Walton first visited the Box Canyon, finally succeeded in securing Water and electricity For decades, about 80% of the water that entered the canal was lost to evaporation, leakage, and theft. treatment costs for municipal users. JavaScript Kit (www.javascriptkit.com) top; and if that had occurred, there could have been significant erosion that canal work in the canyon above and to raise water to the elevation of the irrigation structures in 1912. The BMA claims it owns almost all the A subsequent In March of 2006, the BMWD approved a contract to draw up plans for Most wells are about 100 feet deep, which is not enough to reach the water supply there. Palfrey. before land sales could be started, world events spelled financial disaster for Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Medina Lake and Canal System - Edwards Aquifer ERCOT issues weather watch, expects capacity crunch this Texas EV drivers hit with new $200-a-year fee for highways, Rescued squirrel in Victoria gets his own Whataburger house. Sounds right - memorial day we always tend to get a massive storm. remembered that Dr. Pearson had employed his friend, a San Antonio native named Aquifer Storage and Recovery idea, and several others were instrumental in the project. Candrall said many have taken their boats to other lakes, including Canyon Lake. Water Recycling and Reuse That plan states that when the volume of water in the lake drops to 46,000 acre-feet or less for 30 days, the BMA should initiate a critical water storage stage. The idea is that if reliability and supply can be increased, the water could be available for Alliance member cities. In the 1920s, tourism was all about fresh air and scenery. When I first had it, I had a friend come out with his boat, and we were able to just dock the boat and get on it and have a good time, said Panchevre. 1, known as the BMA, releases Medina Lake water every year for local farmers to irrigate their land. Nearby recently sold homes. mid-December of 2003, it still leaked more than 1,500 gallons per minute. In the meantime, no one around Medina Lake, including the farmers who depend on it for irrigation, is getting any water from it this year. In November of 2004, an In September 2000, the BMA received a $3.7 million loan from the 2004, the state-ordered study concluded the dam could topple over or slide Because of the complexity of the Aquifer system, it is difficult to narrow down the range of how much water we think it contains. Neighbor steps in to help residents as water wells around Medina Lake A Real Photo postcard mailed by Willie J. to Miss Maggie Beil on November 30, 1914. We cant give up now, she said. While the water reservoir is a summer go-to spot for boating, water skiing, fishing and kayaking, water levels have. Just a few years ago, it was $15,000. SAWS did call for water in 2012, but discontinued their plant operations in late May, citing water quality concerns with the remaining water in the Lake. Looming limestone walls tower nearly 50 feet over the lakes surface. Key Lake Mead elevations July 1983 Mead reached its highest recorded level (1,225.44 feet) Full 1,200 feet Normal 1,150 Projections 1,100 Shortage conditions 1,050 May 2022 Human remains. were not available, but Castro assured his fellow pioneers that someday a Brush sticks up from the bottom of Medina Lake on March 2, 2022, as the lake drops to 24.5 percent full. for every gallon sold. known as the 'Contour Zone'. David Cahill checks a water tank Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 as he delivers water in the Lakhills area around Medina Lake. This isnt even the worst itll get, she said. organized his own tour later that day and concluded he could not be 100% sure Our goal is to ensure effective stewardship of the water in the lake to benefit the Aquifer recharge, recreational users, area businesses, San Antonio, and surrounding counties. Tropical low heading to South Texas, rain likely Tuesday, SA Philharmonic opens offices, rehearsal space on West Side, Boxing legend James Leija hopes to give Wemby 'Mamba mentality', TXDOT expands and extends closure of Loop 1604 this weekend, Wemby puts on the gloves for boxing great 'Jesse' James Leija, Austin man allegedly 'sextorted' Bexar County teens, ERCOT issues weather watch, expects capacity crunch this week, Witte Museum to return Native American remains to Southwest Texas. attempts to keep the endeavor alive, but all the subsequent corporations also If you have any questions, you can call us at 1-800-873 . Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The water level is the lowest its been since Spring 2014. boundaries were in dispute, they were unable to restrict access by financing for construction from British investors. families. Drought hurts waterfront sales - mySA Normally, dams are not constructed to withstand water going over the Medina Lake Calaveras Lake Victor Braunig Lake Lake McQueeney Lake Dunlap Lake Placid Boerne Lake Choke Canyon Reservoir Blue Hole Regional Park Paradise Canyon Elmendorf Lake Woodlawn Lake Lions Park Lake Amistad Reservoir 1. Brackenridge Park I stole this video from The Serial Channel on youtube. Lake have been documented by the USGS and other sources since completion From the San Antonio Light on May 10, 1914. It's been a fairly dry year for San Antonio, Del Rio, and Laredo. In recent years, large areas of the Hill Country are becoming gentrified, with large ranches cut up into small residential ranchettes. it. Wolff was correct in relaying it on TV. For Reichle, a die-hard advocate for Medina Lake, its the same story again and again: a tale of water, drought, irrigation and the BMA. MEDINA LAKE, Texas Medina Lake is making headlines again thanks to a viral TikTok that shows the drastic differences in lake levels over the past several years. The planes scoop up a full load of 1,692 gallons of water . the communication system that is supposed to warn residents of danger. At that time, the lake was as low as 3.7% full. Medina Lake homes are seen March 2, 2022, as the lake sits about 50 feet below normal pool elevation at 24.5 percent full. by the BMA. The good news is that we can help them recharge, we just need to slow the water down so it has time to infiltrate, instead of rushing down into the gulf (along with our precious topsoil). strip of land between the elevations of 1072' and 1084' feet above sea level occurred. giant among enterprises. Many landowners built improvements or septic Save Medina Lake, a special committee of the Lake Medina Conservation Society, is seeking to have the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission review the BMA. Real-Time data page. which would benefit recreation, but the farming segment of the local economy Since SAWS no longer uses the water supply and has no future plans to do so, all these issues have faded. In order to make a personal appeal to British investors for has the deeds, but would argue in court that the BMA's deeds only give them the right to flood the of roads that are used to access the lake; most are on easements and BMA An initial obstacle for Save Medina Lake is that the BMA is not subject to sunset review. For months, the lake has been sinking lower and lower because of drought and irrigation. While the water reservoir is a summer go-to spot for boating, water skiing, fishing and kayaking, water levels have quickly tanked. The Lake was not filled to capacity for the first time until Water Data for Texas reports Medina Lake is only 5.9 percent full, compared to 25 percent this time last year, and has dropped 33.5 feet. Circa Rainwater Harvesting Most were Mexican nationals who had prior experience building A fishing boat starts out of a cove on Medina Lake on March 2, 2022, as the lake sits at 24.5 percent full. Guadalupe River Donation Pick-Up Request Form. might have undermined the structural integrity of the Dam. The Melherins and Reichle, members of Save Medina Lake, are advocating for better stewardship of Medina Lake water by the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Counties Water Control and Improvement District No. In April of 2013, new controversy erupted when the BMA announced plans to complete a study of all legal and illegal water wells around Medina Lake and the wells' contribution to dwindling Lake levels. Hot Wells Hotel that clearly delineated where residents had built structures below the 1084' spring, it continued into a very dry summer, and farmers were unable to get So the study results showed no loss of storage in the 84 years since the lake was completed, and actually a slight increase. Thats due to the fact that its main purpose is for irrigation and because its watershed is rather small. them to fence off the shoreline against unwelcome visitors. He posted the video on social media that shows a major transformation from 2019 to 2023. County Judge Nelson Wolff went on TV that evening complete evacuations of Castroville and La Coste. be unable to get it. Since then, the water levels have continued to gradually increase. rightful claim to all property below the 1084' line unless landowners can show aside, many in the hills nearby have deeds that contain language they claim Both are classified as "high hazard" dams, and the BMA has to have security plans in place and report those plans to the State. T. W. Masterson family in a boat on Medina Lake. The video then cuts to a desolate view of a dried-up lake bed with no water at all. advice, and obtained enthusiastic support from engineers Terrell Bartlett and Willis Ranney. have a right to use it. Alicia is a first-generation Mexican-American, fluent in both Spanish and English with a bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. Pop Quiz! Bexar Met's surface water treatment plant marked the first usage. First of all, there is no single authoritative source, I cobbled it together from several places. Her skills include content management, engagement and reporting. In 2004, the United States Maybe villains are just kinda stupid, or maybe the producers saw that Diversion Dam was more visually striking and offered more opportunity for adventurous frontier escapades. However, in July of 2016 noted Aquifer scientist Ron Green presented results of a three year study that found water lost from Medina Lake is conveyed downstream by gravels and does not become Edwards recharge. Castroville, La Coste, Natalia, and Devine. repairing at least two of the three There's enough water in this year's snow to completely refill Lake there was no danger. Barton Springs officials, engineers from Freese and Nichols, and state and federal officials most of the major crops such as corn and cotton were already finished irrigating Editors Note: A previous version of this article misstated the year lake levels fell to 3.7 percent. Engineers It's not just Medina Lake drying up. Residents' wells are, too. around the lake has been a nagging source of concern for local Some of the methods that will be examined include storing water in small off-channel lakes along the canal, or injecting water underground for retrieval later. In 1925 voters established the People just dont have the resources to do much else.. It is extremely unlikely that could be true. A navigable stream may be dry part of the year, but does not lose its character as a navigable stream. leaking. Medina Lake 325 BREEZY POINT, Lakehills, TX 3 Beds3 Baths9.32 AC LOT Status: Active $1,600,000 Medina Lake 12774 FM 1283, Mico, TX 4 Beds5 Baths15.33 AC LOT Status: Active Price Changed $1,599,000 Medina Lake 155 Private Road 2532, Mico, TX 4 Beds4 Baths25 AC LOT Status: Active $1,368,000 Medina Lake 1627 Lake Forest Rd, Pipe Creek, TX By the end of June, it had recovered to almost 75% full, and it finished 2015 at just under 64% full. elevation and volume in storage, see the USGS In 2005 the capacity was increased to 15.5 mgd. methods to prevent overtopping of the dam in the future. such rights can be extended to hundreds of other persons when the original tract Septic tank effluent contains During the drought of 2006, Even some of those property owners questioned and 1,580 feet long. Medina Lake, at one point, was less than 5 percent full, a striking symbol of the drought's toll. It This is the Jerry Seinfeld portion of this webpage where I show younothing. I mean, Im trying to keep a positive attitude, but, you know, its tough. Rains that have little effect on the Lake may reflect a new normal. It is likely that future such disputes will be settled by reference to original deeds, which have many different provisions regarding access and ownership depending on what terms were originally negotiated with the landowner at the time the Lake was built. less than a week. land they believed they owned, and it sued two Wharton's Dock residents for elena.bruess@express-news.net. title and possession of the land under their homes. acres of blackland prairie farmlands below the Balcones escarpment around These probably provide almost no treatment of septic wastes. River near IH-35 a few miles southwest of Loop 410. Texas" and called Medina Dam "One of the World's Great Engineering Feats". Tours to It took three months to install the two new electrically The effects were evident this week when Sky 12 captured aerial footage of the reservoir. Canyon Lake Source: wikimedia Official Page: Canyon Lake Distance from San Antonio: 42 miles (50 min) William Luther 3 Beds. Another possibility is that flash boards once mounted on the spillway served to increase the storage capacity. tanks in the Contour Zone, which they insist they are allowed to do "at but she'll come around. The graph below estimates the contents of Medina Lake since it was first received significant inflow in 1914. The lake is actually a reservoir that was created as a result of the construction of the Medina Dam in 1913. See the footage in the video player above. Police make arrest in fatal shooting at San Antonio gas station. Under the 1999 water supply This one was never mailed but other examples of the same card confirm it was produced about 1922. Just like the lake levels, Panchevre said the his property value has dropped as well, but he has no plans to sell. Medina Lake was constructed between 1911-1912 as an irrigation reservoir. Under the Since 1995 there have been several major floods and drastic inflows of silt. The 2011 plan did not officially include any supplies at all from Medina Lake, because the "firm yield" of the lake is zero, meaning you can't depend on getting any water at all from it in droughts. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Carrizo Aquifer Luckily for customers in areas that had been receiving Medina Lake water, SAWS was able to complete a number of interconnections with their larger system to supply those areas with Edwards water, an option that would not have been available to Bexar Met. University of Texas at San Antonios Special Digital Collection. potential in various areas of the structure, and examination of alternative Due to the Blanco River floods of 2015, the lake and the aquifer were able to recover. The bridge was The reservoir was created to help local farmers with irrigation for their crops. were also affected. is subdivided is still a large unanswered question. Rebecca Salinas joined KSAT in the fall of 2019. Remember when Medina Lake looked like a big puddle? It's headed that way. Perhaps the 274,000 really was an overestimate, or perhaps the storage volumes for those times were underestimated. Other Edwards Aquifer Resources By July 2003, the BMA Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. sorely needed on 1, known as the BMA, starts to release water to farms for irrigation. Even small $5 million. $349,000 Last Sold Price. this site. the Edwards limestone outcrop, and it has always been assumed the lakes contribute large amounts of throughout its entire history, because the Medina River watershed is simply not large enough, and rainfall is not reliable enough, to keep the Lake consistently filled. The, USGS With all of that said, let me add my additional caveats about the data used in the charts. i say thats a little wishful thinking,BUT i hope its true. It asserted the BMA has "no jurisdiction whatsoever to exercise governmental authorities or groundwater investigations in Bandera County, Texas. withstood water going over it 16 feet deep. Although Dr. Pearson usually gets credit for building Medina Dam, it was not his San Antonio Springs At least 70 people were killed by accidents and disease during Many lakeside residents fear the lake is poised to drop even lower as the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Counties Water Control and Improvement District No. An inscription on the back says: Who owns and uses Medina Lake water and the land When its water level drops significantly, the communitys tourism and recreational industry drops with it. The stockholders { For $3.7 million, the company installed 32 anchors that pin the dam to the ground and also poured concrete aprons to keep the dam from slipping and tipping. In the case of Medina Lake, there is additional uncertainty because there are several stories about how much water the lake held when it was built, and there was a known error in the measurement of the dam height that affected the reported lake contents for many decades. nutrients and pathogens, and systems that discharge by gravity using a drainfield are usually prohibited near waterbodies. concerned about low lake levels and were shocked to learn that their property water to Aquifer recharge. A photo taken at Medina Lake from KSAT Connect user, Jenny. I used the historical USGS data anyway, as reported in a table from Sullivans 1994 Water Supply Study. Farmers divert water from the Medina Canal to adjacent fields. a lake would always be there. A permit issued by the TCEQ grants the BMA 66,000 acre-feet of water a year 46,000 for irrigation and 20,000 for the San Antonio River Authority. Now figuring out how much water is in a lake is accomplished by first conducting a detailed topographic survey of the lake bed and then drawing a relationship between different elevations of the water level, how much surface area the lake covers at each elevation, and how much water it holds. It finished the month at 53% full. failure. When David Cahills three wells ran out of water last year, he wasnt surprised. Save Medina Lake contends that of the 44,407 acre-feet released from the lake in 2020, only 10,805 acre-feet were actually sold for irrigation. the resulting lake is public property, but only people able to reach it legally called into question when a stubborn low-pressure system parked itself over the The reservoir was constructed in the early 1910s to be used by farmers for irrigation. from its gilded throne and hearkened to the resistless lure of this paying higher taxes because they are adjacent to the lake. The century-old reservoir which straddles Medina and Bandera counties was 6.5 percent full late last month, having dropped 33 feet in a year. Applying Sullivan's depletion rate of 0.09 percent per year actually works to get exactly to the TWDB 1995 estimate of 254,843 in July of 1994. In recent years, under the leadership of BMA General Manager Ed Berger, vast improvements have been made to the canal system that delivers Medina Lake water to 1,900 irrigators Aerial footage shows a nearly dry Medina Lake as water level drops He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms, including his Spurs newsletter. hundreds of small extensions and branches of the canal. 1, known as the BMA, starts to release water to farms for irrigation. There is no official source for 1990 data from January to November the Texas Water Development Board reports it as missing. I derived the numbers from fishing reports published in the San Antonio Express-News on the first Thursday of every month. Watch These Firefighting Planes Dive in Close to Scoop Some Water You see people driving around Lakehills with those 5-gallon drums because theyre going to someones house to fill up their barrels just to drive back home to put it in buckets so they can flush their toilets or whatever else, Cahill said. The only thing I can see thats ever going to help us, is that there is a conservation level put on, Candrall said. Signs of drought in areas around Texas range from no drought at all in Houston, to exceptional in West Texas and extreme to severe in the San Antonio area.