CANYON LAKE, Texas – Canyon Lake has been making headlines all summer for record low-water levels, but more recently the receding water revealed a cave that was previously hidden underwater.
One man who works on the lake went to look inside.
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JM Perez, who works at Canyon Lake Marina, spoke with KSAT on Wednesday and said he’s been watching the water drop day by day.
“Lots of history being uncovered. It’s sad but interesting,” Perez said.
Perez went to check out the cave on Tuesday afternoon and shared photos from inside, telling KSAT he only went back about 10 feet but he estimated the cave likely went back about 30 feet.
“I saw lots of stalagmites. No writing or anything. It was beautiful,” Perez said.
He also shared photos of the old Hancock bridge near Boat Ramp 17 and the remnants of an old house that was also a part of the town.
Hancock and Crane’s Mill disappeared from the map after Canyon Lake, which is actually a reservoir, was created. Construction on Canyon Lake Dam started in 1958 and was finished by 1964, but the lake wasn’t filled to the conservation pool level until 1968.
Current water levels at Canyon Lake are measuring around 890.91 feet, meaning the lake is roughly 65.6% full, according to Water Data for Texas.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told KSAT that the public should refrain from going into caves for their own safety.
“We know very little about the caves or their hazards and it is better to be cautious and look from a distance,” spokesperson Samuell H. Price said.
Price told KSAT that up until this week, he had only heard rumors of caves until the photos surfaced online.