Photos show what Medina Lake looked like 100 years ago

MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – Medina Lake has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years due to low water levels but it hasn’t always been so dry.

Currently, Medina Lake is just 4.8% full, down roughly 20% from one year ago.

The lake is actually a reservoir that was created as a result of the construction of the Medina Dam in 1913. The reservoir was created to help local farmers with irrigation for their crops.

“Medina Lake sees higher fluctuations compared to most other reservoirs and lakes,” KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne explained. “That’s due to the fact that its main purpose is for irrigation and because its watershed is rather small. During dry stretches, you’ll see significant drops. But, as we’ve learned over history, all it takes is one well-placed rain event and it’ll fill back up.”

Here are some vintage photographs from the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Special Digital Collection that show what Medina Lake looked like 100 years ago:

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