After recent rainfall across South Texas, park officials at Choke Canyon State Park are starting to see small changes, but they say the region is still far from being out of drought conditions.
The Coastal Bend received a good dose of rain recently, but the lake level is still at just 7.4%.
That does not keep visitors like Manuel and Taffrina Cardenas away. They say the park is worth the trip from San Antonio.
"You know, even if it was dry we would still be here. Why? Because you know, getting away from the downtown. Getting away from all the noise," Manuel Cardenas said.
Beyond the silence, they told me the lake plays an important role in the environment.
"I think it’s good for the habitat. You know, right off the back, because that’s their life. That’s where they can migrate. From birds to deer that come through the lake," Manuel Cardenas said.
Taffrina Cardenas said that every park they visit, it is the same story: little to no water.
"We have just dirt till we got the rains recently. But how much is it gonna help?" Taffrina Cardenas said.
Neighborhood News Reporter Melissa Trevinoasked Park Superintendent Jose Uribe if the recent rain actually helped. He said it is a step in the right direction.
"We were extremely happy to see rain for the last three or four days. Much-needed rain," Uribe said.
Uribe and I went on a drive around the lake. He showed me that the rainfall brought about two inches of rain, and after years of drought, the impact was on the lake bed.
"Once you have the base of that ground being wet and saturated, when new rain comes in. The water will now sit on top of that and it’ll stay there a little longer," Uribe said.
Uribe is hopeful that upcoming weather patterns, like El Nino, will bring additional rain.
"We’re still in need of much, much more rain. And, so, we continue to keep our fingers crossed that this pattern of rain will continue," Uribe said.
Uribe said it will take consistent rainfall over time to see any significant recovery, but for now, even a little rain is a welcome sign.
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