Weekend regulars at Medina Lake are watching their favorite Hill Country reservoir shrivel, as water managers tighten the screws on use while the lake creeps back toward the dreaded “dead pool” mark. What was once a go-to spot for boaters and irrigators is now running on fumes, and the next few months are likely to feel it.
Where the levels stand
Current readings put Medina Lake at about 978.57 feet above sea level, only around 4.4 percent of its conservation storage, and roughly 86 feet below full pool. At that razor-thin margin, routine diversions and downstream flow hang in the balance without a solid shot of rainfall, according to the Texas Water Development Board.
Districts tighten the taps
The Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Counties Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 has flipped to a “Stage 4 Water Shortage” and, in a February 3 public notice, outlined deep cuts to irrigation and municipal deliveries. The district stresses that diversion gates and delivery schedules are now tightly limited to prioritize essential uses, per BMA WCID No. 1.
Upstream, Bandera County’s River Authority & Groundwater District followed suit with “Severe Drought Restrictions” on February 5, urging residents to pull back on well pumping and nonessential outdoor watering. Those rules are part of a broader set of drought responses across the watershed, according to the Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District.
What hitting ‘dead pool’ looks like…