MEDINA LAKE

The lack of rain and extreme heat is helping bacteria thrive in area lakes and rivers, and river authority officials are asking families to be cautious of posted swimming warnings.

Abandoned pontoon boats and dry docks have taken the place of swimmers, water skiers and wakeboarders on Medina Lake, as the water level continues to drop.

A video posted on TikTok by a San Antonio business owner showing the effects of the drought at Medina Lake has millions of views and counting.

TikTok user Joelstocks posted a video to the social media platform on Feb. 7 showing a view from his lakehouse property on the shores of Medina Lake in 2019 vs. 2023.

After an extended La Nina, the forecast calls for a switch back to a more neutral pattern (not La Nina or El Nino) by this spring.

Medina Lake has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years due to low water levels but it hasn’t always been so dry.

Cahill, said he charges about $125 to $150 per trip for people in the lake area, and more for others farther away, but he tries to keep the charges low. The “slim profit” he makes goes toward paying off the new, deeper well he had to have dug for more than $28,000.

Water levels at Medina Lake continue to dwindle, and it’s happening quickly. The lake is down four feet from just a month ago according to the Texas Water Development Board.

The Medina Lake Cajun Festival will roll out the good times on Saturday at Lakehills Community Center

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants boaters heading to the state’s lakes or rivers for the weekend to do their part keeping them free of invasive species.

Invasive zebra mussels that are known to harm wildlife have now infested three more lakes -- Lake Brownwood, Inks Lake and Medina Lake -- according to Texas Parks and Wildlife officials.

HONDO, Texas – Medina County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a man who was last seen on March 7. The Medina County Sheriff’s Office says Jack Singleton Love, 74, was last seen in the 100 block of County Road 2624. The sheriff’s office said Love was last seen wearing a light blue fishing shirt and glasses. According to the sheriff’s office, Love may be in danger and has been without his prescribed medication since his disappearance. Medina County deputies and Texas Game Wardens have searched the property around Medina Lake connected to Love.

Invasive zebra mussels that are known to harm wildlife have been detected at Medina Lake and could spread to nearby waterways, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Even though Medina Lake is only 43% full, it is notorious for fluctuations. After the devastating 2011 drought, Medina Lake dried up almost completely through 2015, leaving people skeptical if the lake would ever fill up again. Meteorologist Justin Horne took a trip out to Medina Lake in 2014 to show the drastically low water levels which at times was only 3% full. At the time, the Medina Lake Spillway overtopped as heavy rains fell across South Texas. “Medina Lake has a small watershed and is used for agriculture, making it more susceptible to large fluctuations,” said Horne.

SAN ANTONIO – Medina Lake Park in Bandera County will be closed this Fourth of July weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic. The park, which is operated by the county, will stay closed until Wednesday, July 8, due to the virus, according to officials. The boat ramp at the park will also be closed to the public. Medina Lake Park is just one of the dozens of recreational areas in Central and South Texas that will not be open during the biggest holiday of the summer due to the virus. Cameron County, which includes South Padre Island, has also announced all county parks and county beaches will be closed over the weekend.

If you travel too fast through Welfare, you might miss it. Just east of Comfort, it is a town with a small population.