DEL RIO – The severe drought ravaging Texas and the Southwest has dropped the water level at Lake Amistad on the Rio Grande at Del Rio to a new record low.
The following is information from officials with the Amistad National Recreation Area released Thursday:
Well, today is the day we all expected was coming, but we hoped it would rain more and that somehow we would avoid this. Today the lake level passed the record low set in 2013.
The good news is that the Diablo East and Rough Canyon ramps remain open (one side only of each). Spur 454 is an excellent place to launch kayaks now, but last week closed to launching boats on trailers.
As the lake level continues to drop, boaters need to stay very careful and alert. More and more islands are starting to appear. The safest route is to travel from buoy to buoy. Polarized sunglasses can help you see submerged hazards by reducing reflected glare.
Also, we are experiencing temperatures this week and next well over 100F (37.8C) every day (more so than usual). Be prepared to stay cool and hydrated, and pay special attention to children and pets.
Today’s lake level is 1055.81, down almost 8" from a week ago (1056.44) and down 2'11" from a month ago (1058.69). We are about 1.5" below the record low of 1055.93, set May 23 2013. (Data from Texas Water Development Board).
NPS photo by J. Johnson of the Diablo East boat ramp this morning. The west side is wide enough for more than one boat to launch or recover at the same time. The east side is not paved this far down, and has been closed for some time.
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