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Regional water managers describe prolonged drought, GBRA outlines 'Water Secure' project
Summary
GBRA General Manager Darryl Nichols told Comal County commissioners that Canyon Lake is at about 58% of conservation capacity amid a multi‑year deficit and described a consolidated regional supply plan — dubbed 'Water Secure' — the agency says could deliver water by about 2034 if funded.
Darryl Nichols, general manager and CEO of the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, told the Comal County Commissioners Court on April 16 that the region is in an unusually intense drought and that local water systems must plan for long lead times to develop new supplies.
"Canyon Lake holds 378,000 acre-feet of water," Nichols said, noting the reservoir was at roughly 58% capacity during his presentation. He described average historical inflow into Canyon Lake as about 251,000 acre-feet per year and said the basin has experienced several consecutive years of below-average inflow. "We've been in drought conditions for 8 of the last 9 years," Nichols said.
Nichols outlined a consolidated approach GBRA calls the 'Water Secure' project, combining lower-basin diversion using senior water rights, off-channel storage, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), brackish groundwater development and treated-water delivery along the I-35/130 corridor. He said engineering work has been underway for more than two years and that, if market or Water Development Board funding is secured, the project could deliver water in the early 2030s. "This project will deliver water in likely 2034," Nichols said.
Nichols also emphasized trade-offs and environmental constraints: Canyon Lake stores raw water rather than treated drinking water, spring flows and Edwards Aquifer levels are governed by different hydrology, and many regional supplies are already fully allocated. He said GBRA is developing a habitat conservation plan intended to protect river ecosystems while pursuing supply projects.
Why it matters: Nichols framed the plan as a long-term, regional response to rapid population growth, regulatory limits and limited local supplies. The presentation signaled that substantial investment and multi-jurisdictional participation will be required before new, significant supplies become deliverable.
