If you’re looking to float the river in the San Antonio area this Labor Day weekend you might want to make other plans.
Floating the river has been a favorite pastime for people looking to celebrate the end of summer on Labor Day weekend but the Comal, Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers aren’t flowing quite so fast this year.
In fact, some rivers have stopped flowing altogether in certain spots, several Texas swimming holes are drying up, others are ankle-deep and local lakes have reached historic lows.
The United States Geological Survey shows flow rates at the Comal River, a popular spot for tubers, are at all-time lows. With almost no rain chances in the forecast, this is unlikely to change leading up to Labor Day.
The San Marcos River is another popular spot for tubing, but USGS data shows the river flow near Texas State University is below average for this time of year.
Further down the San Marcos River, the flow is measuring at an all-time low.
USGS data also shows the Guadalupe River has stopped flowing in some areas like Spring Branch, Comfort and Bergheim.
It’s not the first time the river has stopped flowing. Last summer, water flow was also an issue amid record drought and stretches of 100-degree days that have also plagued this summer.
Guadalupe Canoe Livery, an outfitter along the Guadalupe River known as the “$5 spot,” doesn’t even have a flowing river for visitors to cool off. The video in the media player above shows how dry the area got in 2022 and this year it’s a copy-paste scenario following exceptional drought and little rainfall.
It’s not bad news across the board — just because there’s no registered flow in some areas doesn’t mean the rivers have dried up entirely. One local business owner reached out to KSAT and said the Guadalupe is still flowing well below the dam.
If you’re planning to hit up Canyon Lake in lieu of visiting one of the local rivers, just be aware only three of the lake’s 23 boat ramps are currently open and that could change heading into the weekend.
Just a heads up:
San Antonio leaders, policymakers to discuss civic and political issues at Texas Tribune Festival - State and local leaders, journalists, media figures and the public will convene in downtown Austin from September 21-23 for the annual Texas Tribune Festival.
Held in-person and virtually, the festival is an educational opportunity around public policy, politics and news. More than 100 panels will be offered to those attending. Topics will include 2024 races, how cities in Texas and the U.S. are evolving and several one-on-one conversations.