No matter where you live, it pays to be aware of flood hazards. Floods are one of the most common, and most costly, disaster events in the United States and can occur even outside of existing floodways and flood plains. Below you will find links to information sources to help protect yourself, your family, and your property during flood events in the Guadalupe River basin.

In cooperation with local authorities, media and lake management groups, GBRA has developed materials to provide local residents, including those along Lakes Dunlap, McQueeney, Placid and Meadow, with valuable information during a flood event.

The Interim Flood Preparedness Plan explains what happens in the event of local flooding, and includes maps, definitions and rainfall patterns. The Plan can be downloaded using the link below, or is available by contacting GBRA at 830-379-5822.

In the event of a flood watch or warning, GBRA will provide information to KWED Radio about current river flows and their effect on GBRA hydro lakes, from New Braunfels to Seguin. Lake residents and others who may be affected by local flooding should refer to the appropriate Flood Tracking Chart for their area.

These charts, which can be downloaded below or obtained from GBRA, allow the user to graphically relate the current flood flows at Lakes Dunlap, McQueeney, Placid and Meadow to historic and comparable conditions, lake levels, track current events and plan for an evacuation, if necessary.

We encourage you to listen to KWED 1580 AM at these times for the latest flood reports and evacuation plans.

If you have specific questions or need additional information about how to use these charts, please contact David Welsch or Tommy Hill at GBRA at 830-379-5822.

Following several severe floods in the 1930’s, the Federal Government and GBRA began developing plans for Canyon Reservoir to provide flood control to an area that is the sixth most flood-prone region in the nation, as well as a dependable supply of stored water for municipal, industrial and agricultural uses throughout the Guadalupe River Basin.

The drought of the 1950's made the project a necessity, and Canyon Reservoir was completed and began impounding water in 1964. The Reservoir was built and financed through a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and GBRA. GBRA pays about 35% of the debt on the Dam and Reservoir, as well as a portion of the annual operating expenses. The Federal Government owns the rights to the Dam and Reservoir, including the flood control portion of the reservoir (from elevation 909 up to 943 feet elevation mean sea level). This 'flood pool' is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is kept empty to contain floodwater from heavy rainfall events upstream of the Reservoir.

Since 1964, floodwaters have only overtopped the emergency spillway at elevation 943 msl once -- in July 2002. Releases from the 'flood pool' are made by the Corps as soon as possible, at rates that do not contribute to downstream flooding. Corps regulations designate Gonzales, Cuero and Victoria as 'control points' with a maximum rate of 12,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). The Corps must make sure that the Canyon release rate, when combined with local river conditions, does not exceed 12,000 cfs at these locations.

For more information about Canyon Reservoir, view the Canyon Reservoir Fact Sheet.