Canyon Lake is expected to fall below 880 feet in January 2025, forcing the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority’s (GBRA) wholesale water customers who buy raw or treated water to curtail their usage by 15%.
At GBRA’s monthly meeting Wednesday, Charlie Hickman, executive manager of Engineering, said 880 feet — 186,313-acre-feet or approximately 49% full — is the “trigger” point for issuing Stage IV water restrictions under the group’s May 15, 2024 Drought Contingency Plan (DCP).
Canyon Lake’s current elevation is 881.09 feet.
GBRA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) jointly manage Canyon Dam and Reservoir. Drought stages outlined in the DCP relate to customers with contracts for stored water out of Canyon Reservoir.
Stage IV can be rescinded when Canyon Reservoir returns to an elevation greater than 880 feet for a period of 30 consecutive days.
Hickman said longterm weather forecasts show no relief to the ongoing drought.
Also at the meeting board members reviewed the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, which showed sizable increases in revenues.
GBRA added 2,000 new customers this year, twice as many as in 2023. Most of these are wastewater customers.
Water sales increased by $3 million, wastewater services increased by $4 million, hydroelectric sales increased by $200,000 as Lake Dunlap came back online, investment income increased by $3 million and capacity charges — rates charged to customers for contract revenue bonds — increased by $7 million.
GBRA’s total assets grew from $217 million in 2015 to over $799 million in 2024.
