Showers of rain poured across the Texas Hill Country this week, raising beloved lakes in the region. While not all were significantly impacted, the downpour certainly didn’t hurt them.
Over the past few years, several bodies of water in the Lone Star State have felt the tightening restrictions of drought as their levels dwindled. When three to six inches of rain graced the Texas Hill Country, those bodies of water held their levels and increased their flow.
Canyon Lake in New Braunfels has steadily maintained its water level, staying around 884 feet all week. The showers have yet to be reflected in water level measurements, but the National Weather Service predicts water should flow southeast toward Canyon Lake over the next several days.
Further upstream in Medina Lake, the water is reaping all the rewards of the rain. Water data shows an additional three inches of water from Monday, July 22, bringing the level to 973.49 feet, making the lake 3% full.
Local meteorologists are also celebrating the much-needed flow at Lake Travis. The Lower Colorado River Authority shared a video of the floodgates opening at Max Starcke Dam, allowing thousands of gallons of water to pour into Lake Travis.
Based solely on data, Lake Austin and Marble Falls show slight rises and drops. However, MySA spoke with regional meteorologists at the National Weather Service, who say data takes a few hours to catch up with flows from rain.