Flow rates on the Guadalupe River through the City of New Braunfels will be increasing as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increases the release rate out of Canyon Dam. Those flows are expected to rise to approximately 3,000cfs by late Friday and will remain in place until Canyon Lake returns to its normal level of 909-feet above sea level.
The increased flows on the Guadalupe River will trigger temporary changes to the types of recreation allowed. Life jackets will now be required for anyone participating in river recreation. Once flows top 1,000cfs, tubing is not allowed; only rafts and kayaks are allowed. And once flows top 3,000cfs, only guided rafting trips are allowed.
It should be noted that forecasters with the National Weather Service are predicting additional rainfall throughout the weekend. Any additional rainfall below Canyon Dam will impact river flows in New Braunfels, and so residents and visitors need to use extreme caution when near local rivers. Those with homes near local rivers should keep an eye on local weather forecasts and be mindful of potentially rising river levels over the next few days. Additionally, with the ground already saturated, run off from any additional rain has the potential to cause street flooding and road closures.
Links to current river levels can be found here: http://www.nbtexas.org/1106/River-Status
A real-time road closure map for New Braunfels can be found here: https://newbraunfels.maps.arcgis.com/apps/SimpleViewer/index.html?appid=1e68f804626d4eb59de03813a0b92170
