As Texas’ drought wears on, locals face the pricey prospect of digging new wells or...
Medina Lake’s iconic Tiki Island, seen Dec. 21, 2022, is now a peninsula as the lake stands at 6.5 percent full. The lake, now more than 79 feet below full, is the lowest it has been since 2015.Earlier this year, when David Cahill’s three wells ran out of water, he wasn’t surprised. It had been a long time coming and he knew eventually he would have to dig another, deeper well on his property. Still, the final price — just under $30,000 — he didn’t expect.
It’s not just the wells drying up. Medina Lake is the lowest it’s been since 2015. For months, the lake has been sinking lower and lower because of drought and irrigation. The century-old reservoir — which straddles Medina and Bandera counties — was 6.5 percent full last week, having dropped 33 feet in a year. Lake-view houses look out on white, jagged rocks rather than shimmering water, and local businesses, which depend on the lake for financial fuel, are struggling to stay alive.
“Not everyone can afford these new expenses, so then what will happen?” Cahill said. “It’s a bad situation.”For years, residents around Medina Lake have complained about the extreme variations in lake levels and have accused lake management of letting the water run dry. Save Medina Lake contends that while the BMA sold only 6,000 acre-feet, to deliver that amount, the BMA released 24,000 acre-feet to compensate for water lost — such as through evaporation or seepage — while it’s transported through dirt canals.
In October this year, the BMA board unanimously took action to stop all water sales until further notice for the 2023 watering season.
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