By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
This summer’s heat has taken its toll on people across the country, and it has definitely taken its toll on a Val Verde County landmark and tourist attraction.
Lake Amistad, located about 10 miles west of Del Rio as part of the Amistad National Recreation Area (ANRA), has seen its water levels drop to their lowest point in the lake’s 53-year history.
According to a post on the ANRA’s official Facebook page, the lake’s levels on Wednesday dropped to 1,055.81 feet, a nearly eight-inch decline from the week prior and just over an inch from the previous low of 1,055.93 feet set in 2013.
Superintendent Chris Ryan, who oversees the ANRA, confirmed the report, explaining that the International Water Boundary Commission is responsible for monitoring the lake levels and provides the information posted each Wednesday by ANRA’s Jack Johnson as part of the Facebook page’s Water Watch Wednesday.
Despite the news of the declining lake levels, Ryan said there are some positive aspects that have come out of the alarming news.
“The dropping lake levels have enabled us to add three more parking spaces on the Diablo East boat ramp for people with disabilities. People who need passes to park there should visit our visitors center and we’ll give them a free pass,” Ryan said Friday. “The lower levels have also allowed out maintenance team to work out at Rough Canyon and add some more concrete sections to the ramp there. Right now boats can still launch at half of the ramp at Diablo East and half of the ramp at Rough Canyon as one half of the ramps is longer than the other half. These new additions will be beneficial when the water levels start rising again.”
When asked how long the last two boat ramps would remain open, Ryan said he was not sure, but the goal is to keep them open for as long as possible.
“I know this lake provides huge economic possibilities for this community and so far we have not had a cancellation of any fishing tournaments. People just have to be aware that only one half of the available boats ramps are open, so there will be a wait to launch. It won’t be as bad as it is in places like Lake Mead where low water levels have created waits of three to four hours to launch,” Ryan said.
The lake is actually a man-made reservoir created by the construction of Amistad Dam. It is fed by the Rio Grande, Devils River and Pecos River, but the lack of rain in this area and further north and west, as well as the extreme heat, has led to a drastic drop in the lake levels.
“From my perspective, and I’ve been here seven years, this year has seen a more drastic change when it comes to the lake levels,” Ryan said. “This year has been more severe due to the drought conditions and the ongoing irrigation that’s going on below the dam.”
Because the reservoir is managed by both the United States and Mexico, water is often released through the dam to aid agriculture and municipalities located below the dam. Ryan said that in speaking to the watermaster who oversees this area, additional water would be released in mid-August.
The lower lake levels have also created some new hazards for boaters and visitors to the ANRA. Ryan said boaters should be careful when out on the water, reminding them the safest way to traverse the lake is to go from buoy to buoy.
“That’s where the water should be deeper,” Ryan said. “Since the levels have been dropping, islands, larger rocks and tree stumps have begun to appear. There’s still plenty of water out there, but you have to be very careful.”
Ryan also cautions visitors to avoid some structures that have been exposed due to the lower levels.
“The biggest thing we’ve seen exposed is the old dam and powerhouse by the Devils River. We definitely don’t want people walking up on there. Those structures have been underwater for 50 years and who knows what the integrity of those structures are,” Ryan said. “There have been other things that have appeared, but mainly it’s been a lot of trash. Nothing we’ve had to alert law enforcement about.”
Because the water has receded from the shoreline, Ryan said the park service has plans to move picnic tables and trash can closer to the water, but there’s no timetable for that to take place.
As for what it would take for Amistad to see its levels climb up again, Ryan said it might be nothing less than a natural disaster.
“Amistad is filled up by rain and from the underground springs along the three main rivers – the Rio Grande, the Devils and the Pecos. The biggest way that we can get this lake to fill would be the remnants of a tropical storm or hurricane, but none of us want to see anyone get hurt. We do get a lot of water coming in from Mexico, and we could see some from rain in the north and west,” Ryan said.
—
Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
