Drought tightened its grip on Canyon Lake’s economy in 2025, closing some businesses and almost all boat ramps.
The lake is now 60% full and many are worried tourism will dry up, too.
“…we are a tourist-like community with no lake,” Canyon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Board President Terry Harris said in an interview with MyCanyonLake.com in late December.
To stay informed about what’s happening and what to expect in 2026, go online and attend the board meetings of two key organizations that manage water supplies and recreational facilities.
GBRA
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority’s (GBRA) board meets at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in Seguin. To review agendas, board meeting packets and meeting videos, click here. Meetings are open to the public. GBRA posts live links to board meetings on its Facebook page.
GBRA sells water from Canyon Lake to suppliers like the Texas Water Company (TWC) as well as downstream customers along the Guadalupe River. Its 10-county statutory district begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers and ends at San Antonio Bay.
Established by the Texas legislature, GBRA also controls release rates from Canyon Dam when lake levels are normal or lower than flood pool. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assumes control when lake levels rise to 909 feet or higher.
GBRA sets drought restrictions for wholesale customers like TWC and ensures compliance with other regulatory or contractual requirements like those set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and trout flows established through a contract with Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited.
Wholesale customers are classified as cities, utilities, private companies, districts and other entities that purchase raw water.
Retail customers include residents of the Cordillera Ranch, Johnson Ranch, and Comal Trace communities.
Charles Hickman, executive manager of Engineering, routinely briefs the board on the Guadalupe River’s basic hydrologic conditions, including rainfall percentages, events, and totals.
He also presents the Base Flow Report, the U.S. Drought Monitor’s seasonal outlook, and discusses Edwards Aquifer and Comal Springs levels, Guadalupe River streamflows, the neutral conditional model forecast, and the elevation of Canyon Reservoir (Dam).
GBRA also manages and operates Canyon Lake Gorge.
WORD of Comal County
Board meetings of the Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) of Comal County, 14041 FM 306, Canyon Lake, are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. A link is posted under the Board Information tab on wordcc.com.
WORD encompasses Canyon Lake and over 30 miles of floatable water on the Guadalupe River above and below Canyon Lake. It exists within Comal County north of Highway 46 to the west, beginning at the Texas Park & Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Guadalupe River State Park
WORD manages Comal and Canyon parks and Nichol’s Landing, and hosts special events like the upcoming “Liberty on the Lake” fireworks show on July 4. The park-and-recreation district also makes important community choices like deciding to keep Boat Ramp #18 open indefinitely after all county boat ramps closed.
General Manager Mike Dussere has worked to decrease the parks’ dependence on water recreation by introducing other recreational amenities.
Graphics such as maps of district boundaries, boat ramps, the Guadalupe River, alternate routes to Canyon Lake attractions, and buoy placements are posted on its website.
The district collects taxes from water-related business owners in the district. The tax rate is $1 per person. These funds help finance WORD’s operations.
The majority of WORD’s revenue pays for:
- regular cleanup efforts along the river, lake and popular roadways
- law enforcement and emergency medical service
- contributions to local projects and organizations to promote and improve the district
- community education and outreach programs to promote safe and responsible water recreation
- public health and sanitation to include dumpsters and portable toilets for public use
Other Local Resources
- Trinity Groundwater Conservation District in Spring Branch regulates the spacing of water wells and provides rules on well-construction standards for water wells drilled in Comal County into the Trinity Aquifer. There is no oversight authority for shallow wells drilled into the Edwards Authority. The district cannot limit production, has no taxing authority, and cannot place meters on private, exempt wells. Monthly meeting dates are posted on comaltrinitygcd.com; meetings are neither virtual nor recorded. Detailed PowerPoint summaries of each meeting are posted under District Information.
- Comal County Commissioners Court regularly reviews and votes on agenda items pertaining to development, drought, water availability and water recreation. The county operates nine Canyon Lake boat ramps. Meetings are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays and are available to watch live or archived at comalcounty.gov. The historic courthouse is located off Main Plaza at 100 North Seguin Avenue, New Braunfels.