Real Estate Photographer in Canyon Lake, TX

A fresh dip in Canyon Lake’s water levels has quietly shifted what’s accessible along its shoreline. Heading into the weekend, visitors may find more has changed than just the view.

Officials confirmed Friday, December 12, that all county-run public boat ramps at Canyon Lake are now closed, the latest consequence of a steady decline in water levels across the reservoir, officials confirm to MySA. After months of dramatic swings, from spring lows to summer flood-driven highs, the lake is slipping into another downturn as drought conditions strengthen.

According to Water Data for Texas, Canyon Lake sits at 889.03 feet, or 62.5% full, marking a continued slide from early August, when the lake briefly surged to about 68.4% full following July’s deadly Hill Country floods. That boost allowed several ramps to reopen for the first time in nearly a year, but the recovery proved short-lived.

Which boat ramps are open on Canyon Lake?

Despite countywide closures, two public launch points remain accessible, according to officials.

Which boat ramps are closed on Canyon Lake?

Each boat ramp has a minimum water level required for safe motorized launches. Many of Comal County’s ramps close when the lake drops below roughly 892-906 feet, depending on the location.

Canyon Lake has spent 2025 swinging between drought and recovery. In May, the reservoir plunged to 876.97 feet, one of its lowest points in recent years. By late July and early August, flash flooding pushed the lake back up to roughly 68.4% full, offering a temporary return to normalcy for boaters and lake-dependent businesses.

But since those midsummer highs, water levels have steadily retreated. December 12 had a mark just above 889 feet, placing the reservoir well below many ramp safety thresholds and reflects the region’s deepening drought.

Nicholas Hernandez is a digital reporter for MySA. Previously, he worked as an associate producer for NJ PBS’s nightly newscast. His bylines have appeared in Eater, the Bronx Times, AMNY, NJ Spotlight News and Bleu Magazine. A graduate of Seton Hall University, he also holds a master’s degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. He is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

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PLAYOFF HIGHLIGHTS | Calallen 42, Canyon Lake 14 | Texas High School Football

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A rare sighting of a black "melanistic" deer in Fischer, Texas, is stirring a wave of excitement in the Texas Hill Country. On Sunday, November 16, Facebook user David Eckert said in post that he spotted a jet black whitetail buck "grazing like he owned the place" a few streets from his house.

"Y’all, I couldn’t believe my eyes," he said, describing the shocking sight. The Hill Country resident, who serves as an administrator for a public Canyon Lake Facebook page, shared the post over the weekend, and it quickly gained more than 8,500 reactions and 1,100 shares. Fischer is just north of Canyon Lake.

Eckert said in the post that the deer was "pure midnight black from nose to tail," calling the animal "one of nature’s genetic unicorns." But it turns out, he's not the only one who's seen the Hill Country who's been graced by the rare Hill Country sighting.

Tons of comments — nearly 800 — flooded the post, full of hunters and nature lovers who have seen black bucks over the years. People enjoy the uncommon sightings and will keep an eye out for rare deer sightings.

"It's rare, but common," Stephanie Garcia told MySA. Garcia is a spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Mellanistic deer have a genetic mutation that causes an "over-production" of melanin, or dark pigment in their coats. Although the deer is considered extremely rare in North America, for some reason, Central Texas "has more than its fair share," according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

In 2005, the state agency interviewed Professor John Baccus, who now teaches at Texas Tech. He said at the time that the black deer is the rarest of the white-tailed deer, even more so than big-antlered deer. In eight Texas counties — Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Travis and Williamson — there were more melanistic deer than in the rest of the world combined.

According to the National Deer Association, the recessive gene trait is so rare that very little is known about it. What researchers do know is that it may come from a survival evolution to populations that lived along darkly covered river drainage areas with thick cover.

Texas Parks and Wildlife says the color changes among deer populations are caused simply by genetic factors. Both albino deer and melanistic deer are rare but definitely present in the Hill Country.

"Seeing a true black buck in our own backyard? That’s Texas Hill Country magic," Eckert said in his post.

Experts are sounding the alarm as Texas enters yet another year of punishing drought — pushing major lakes toward historic lows and raising concerns for communities across the Hill Country.

South-Central Texas has been stuck in a rainfall deficit since 2022, with San Antonio hit especially hard. According to a report from the San Antonio Express-News, the city is now short nearly 45 inches of rain. That kind of prolonged dry spell doesn't just wilt lawns — it drains the region's lifelines: its lakes.

Canyon Lake, located about 40 miles north of San Antonio, is dropping fast. Water managers confirmed the lake has fallen to just over 890 feet above sea level, losing roughly 232 acre-feet of water per day — that's more than 75 million gallons disappearing daily.

Declining lake levels ripple far beyond an empty shoreline. Lower reservoirs mean higher wildfire risk, struggling farms, and strained drinking-water supplies for fast-growing communities.

Texas has always dealt with dry spells, but the long-term warming trend is now supercharging them — rising temperatures speed up evaporation, weaken water cycles, and make every rainless stretch hit harder. That same warming pattern is also driving droughts to occur more often and last longer than they used to.

This isn't just a Texas problem. Lake Powell, which stretches across Utah and Arizona, has been sinking, too, and California's reservoirs have taken repeated hits during recent drought years. It all points to the same reality: Hotter conditions mean there's less water to go around.

Across the Hill Country, water managers have tightened outdoor watering rules and ask residents to use less. They've also been talking directly with communities to get the message across. And on the bigger-picture side, Texas is backing projects that recharge aquifers, promote native and drought plants, and grow its water-reuse programs.

Communities elsewhere are also leaning on new tools. Satellite-based drought monitoring and smart irrigation systems are helping cities stay ahead of water loss — along with organizations restoring wetlands and upgrading storm water systems to make droughts less damaging when they hit.

While no single household can refill a lake, collective habits matter. Everyday steps such as choosing native plants, cutting outdoor watering, fixing small leaks, and reusing greywater when possible all help reduce demand on strained systems.

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A tornado touched down in the eastern Hill Country late Friday night, crossing parts of Kendall and Comal counties, the National Weather Service confirmed Sunday after conducting a storm survey Sunday afternoon.

Based on damage found across the area, the tornado was rated an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with estimated maximum wind speeds of 110 mph. At its widest, the tornado measured about 300 yards across.

The tornado’s path

The tornado first touched down at 11:35 p.m. on the west side of FM 3551 in eastern Kendall County, about four miles southeast of the unincorporated community of Kendalia. It produced sporadic tree damage as it traveled east through rural Kendall County, according to the National Weather Service’s report.

After moving into Comal County, the twister downed five electrical poles and one light pole near the intersection of U.S. 281 and FM 306. It then continued east-southeast into the Indian Hill subdivision, where it caused more tree, fence and shingle damage.

Before dissipating, the tornado continued straight east into Tanglewood Trail and the northern sections of Mystic Shores, just northwest of Canyon Lake, continuing to cause tree and shingle damage. The tornado was on the ground for a total of 23 minutes, covering a distance of 20.1 miles.

Was a warning issued?

The National Weather Service did issue a tornado warning for Comal and Kendall counties late Friday night. However, the warning was issued at 11:40 p.m., five minutes after the tornado initially touched down in eastern Kendall County.

Residents in the Indian Hill, Tanglewood Trail and Mystic Shores areas had between five and 15 minutes of lead time before the tornado arrived.

Damage from straight-line winds

Surveyors also found significant wind damage both north and south of the tornado’s track. One home, southeast of the tornado, had its roof torn off and tossed 100 yards to the east. Another home on Sundown Trail also incurred significant roof damage as well.

It was concluded, based on radar data, that the damage to these homes was a result of straight-line winds, not a tornado.

Anthony Franze is a native Texan and very passionate about covering any weather that is thrown at him. He can be reached at anthony.franze@express-news.net.

Anthony earned a degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University in 2017. He has worked as a broadcast meteorologist for six years, one at NBC Montana and the next five at NewsWest 9 in Midland before joining the Express-News in July 2023.

In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching sports, checking out local restaurants and breweries, and getting outside whenever the heat allows for it. If you have any story ideas, questions about the weather or restaurant suggestions, drop him a line.