CANYON LAKE, Texas – As families return to Canyon Lake after last week’s flooding, officials say the biggest concern may not be water quality — it’s what could be hiding beneath the surface.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages Canyon Lake, told KSAT it does not conduct water quality testing following flood events. Instead, the agency is urging visitors to be responsible by swimming only in designated beach areas, wearing properly fitted life jackets and using caution around flood debris.
Officials also recommend avoiding stagnant, murky or foul-smelling water.
Many visitors at the lake said they weren’t overly concerned.
“I feel like I didn’t see much of a difference, just a little more murky,” said 12-year-old Hilson Tucker.
When asked if that bothered him, he replied “no.”
His father, Ross Tucker, said he checks for any official alerts before bringing his family to the lake.
“It hasn’t concerned me too much,” he said. “I do check to make sure there are no alerts out before we come to the lake, and Canyon Lake is not putting out any alerts. I feel like it’s safe.”
Businesses on the lake also remain open.
Frasier McNew, who operates Jet Ski Dude, said the Corps of Engineers oversees the recreation area and would close it if conditions were considered unsafe.
“No, no we wouldn’t be allowed to be open,” McNew said. “The whole park would be closed. The corps, they oversee us directly, they would be shutting us down.”
McNew said after last year’s flooding, there was more debris. After last week’s flooding, it hasn’t been much of an issue, pointing out that it’s clear enough to see your phone if you drop it in the water.
“Last year, there was a bunch of wind — it kept all the debris in one place until it slowly sank,” McNew said. This year, there wasn’t that much wind, so they actually spread out throughout the lake a little bit.”
KSAT has also reached out to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority for the latest Canyon Lake water quality testing results and is still waiting for a response.
Farther upstream, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority said initial testing found bacteria levels at most Upper Guadalupe River sites in Kerr County were within the state’s recreational standard and consistent with pre-flood conditions.
Even so, the agency continues to advise people to avoid swimming in Kerrville and to use caution throughout the river, because murky water and flood debris can hide dangerous hazards.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which conducts routine water quality monitoring every four months, says it plans to test Canyon Lake next week. Until then, the agency recommends people remain aware of debris and other hazards that can linger after major flooding.
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