MEDINA LAKE, Texas -- While folks in other parts of Texas are saying please stop, those who live in Mico & Lakehills, TX near Medina Lake are praying it doesn't.
The lake, which is the lifeblood for the rural Medina county area had all but gone dry, just 2.5% of the water was all that was left in the lake. As of Monday, the lake is roughly 37 percent full.
Rains bring new life to Medina Lake
"Before they built the lake, this was called "Box Canyon", said Steve Bonahoom.
Steve, and his wife Roxy, own the Bedrock Inn & Resort at the east end of the dam. They bought the place and kept it open until the water began to drop to the point where they had to close their boat ramp and turn customers away.
Mike Crandall said he's barely been able to hang on. Crandall owns Wally's Watersports, just up the road from the Bedrock.
"My business itself was down 95 percent" said Crandall.
"There was more traffic going by the lake here and out to visit the lake than there's been in the last 900 days combined.
The rain has caused the lake to come up more than 31 feet in the last week, and more than 52 feet in the last month. It's the first time it's really looked like a lake in the past 3 years. That is already paying dividends for business owners who have been able to hang on.
Bonahoom said "the restaurants and convenience stores that are up here, they couldn't believe the traffic that they saw because they cleaned them out." He said because of the dropping lake, there wasn't enough water to use the lake so people quit coming out. Bonahoom said water and people are now flooding to the lake.
While business owners around the Hill Country lake are celebrating, so are residents and those who come out to the lake. Everywhere on the roads around the lake, where you could actually see the water people are stopping to take pictures.
Robert Riojas owns property not far from the shoreline. He brought his children out to the lake, just so they could see the water. Riojas said "We have been coming out here since the 70's so it's good to see it come back."
