Adam B. Higgins COMAL COUNTY Texas – As Canyon Lake’s water level continues to drop at least one business owner says there’s an upside With the lake less than half full and no boat ramps open to the general public the number of power boats on the lake is now limited to those with a slip in the lake’s marinas But the owner of a personal watercraft rental business says that means the lake is now more enjoyable for visitors who don’t have their own boat “You come out here and it’s like being on a private lake," said Jim McNew who says the lake is now calm enough for kayakers and paddleboarders Army Corps of Engineers says the ramps are still open for non-motorized vehicles McNew has an interest in keeping people coming to the lake Known as the “Jet Ski Dude,” McNew rents out PWCs at Canyon Park and says he’s bringing in kayaks As headlines have focused on the dropping lake levels “Restaurants that I’ve known for years are struggling to just pay employees,“ he said ”I’ve got three friends in business that have closed down within the last six months." McNew says visitors don’t realize how much of the lake is still left the lake has about 7.8 square miles of surface area compared to roughly 13 square miles it covers when full Canyon Lake’s water level has been dropping for more than three years in the face of extended drought conditions The lake hasn’t been full since shortly after Thanksgiving 2021 and it has been breaking record lows since August 2023 As of Tuesday, the Texas Water Development Board said the water level was down a little more than 31 feet below the conservation pool resulting in the lake being about 46.4% full and brush grows on a sandbar that would normally be 20 feet below the surface Beer cans thrown overboard by boaters decades ago bake in the sun next to stones that haven’t been dry since the lake was first filled in the 1960s Army Corps of Engineers says the loss of water in the lake is not primarily due to letting water downstream but rather to evaporation — a problem that is likely to worsen with increasing heat Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. CANYON LAKE, Texas - The misery continues for those that use or live around Canyon Lake with a slow daily drop in the lake level battling a prolonged drought stretching back to 2020 along with record hot summers. Today's level on this final day of February is 48.5% full and down 29.5 feet. Each day it drops, a new daily record low level for the lake is established. Canyon Lake hasn't been this low since it was filling up in the 1960s. There are 23 boat ramps to access the lake with one of the ramps on the Guadalupe River just above the lake. They're all closed to public access with only boat ramp #19 open to members of Canyon Lake Marina. However, it is now legal for the public to launch non-motorized watercraft such as canoes or kayaks from county boat ramps #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 22 and 23. Also for ramps operated by the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) for non-motorized watercraft #3, 4, and 18. Ramps #3, 4, 18 are closed at this time however for the season with the parks. They'll operate from March 1st to September 30th. The outlook ahead is for drier than normal conditions March - May as a weak La Nina persists in the equatorial Pacific. It is forecast to transition to a neutral phase by late spring. The rainfall outlook this summer is in the "equal chances" category which is better than below normal. Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Mark Ellis throws a first pitch at Canyon Lake Little League's opening day to Rapid City mayor Jason Salamun on a sun-splashed Opening Day for Canyon Lake Little League former big leaguer Mark Ellis spoke to a sea of parents and players before him There was a buzz emanating from the announcement a ballpark was named in the Rapid City native's honor Mark Ellis grips a baseball at Canyon Lake Little League's Opening Day Saturday "I'm so glad it says Ellis Field and not Mark Ellis Field my parents and what they've done for me in my career it's a total team effort and they still live here in this community and for them to drive by and to see that is really special," Ellis said the $40-plus million he earned and the trips to the postseason wouldn't be possible And now the hope any of the 600 kids who'll play for Canyon Lake Little League this year will see that sign and follow in his footsteps Mark Ellis high-fives a Canyon Lake Little Leaguer at Opening Day That's what you want your grandkids to do," Robert Mudge Mudge recalled the church softball league games where a 3-year-old Mark begged to attend his parents' games Then came the endless games of racket ball at the fitness center Mark's mom The rubber ball echoed like a clap of thunder each time it slapped against the wall Canyon Lake Little League announced they'll name a field after former big leaguer and Rapid City native Mark Ellis "And I think that's how I developed my hand eye coordination," said Ellis renowned for his sure-handedness at second base who attended Saturday in thick sunglasses and a plaid blue shirt until the day he retired Les worked in the auto-industry and did everything Les was there for all the extensive traveling required for Mark's games Mark Ellis signs a baseball for a Canyon Lake Little League coach Saturday would make the 600-plus mile round trip schlep to Cheyenne even if it was for the last few innings of a doubleheader There was never indication that they couldn't do anything They always made the sacrifices to go ahead and do that for us," Mark said Mark Ellis' dad Les poses for a photo at Canyon Lake Little League's Opening Day Saturday But what makes Les proud is the impact of Mark's success "Still feels like they own a piece of him," Les said of Rapid City Mudge reflected on how the community rallied around Mark and Post 22 when he helped lead the team to the American Legion Baseball World Series championship title And throughout his 13-year Major League Baseball career highlighted by stints with the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers Big Sister cause where "he donated a bunch of shirts and bats years ago and we made big displays and then auctioned them off," Mudge said Now Mark has settled down outside of Seattle with his wife and three children such as the spaghetti and fried chicken his mom made and childhood memories where a Wilson A2000 with H-webbing cloaked his left hand looked on proudly and talked about memories from decades ago like they happened last Tuesday The Canyon Lake Little League Opening Day crowd welcomed him as a hometown hero They applauded as he strutted to the mound and threw a ceremonial first pitch to Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun Mark Ellis poses alongside a Canyon Lake Little Leaguer Saturday afternoon at Collins Field the kids who flocked to him for photos and signed baseballs Maybe they'll have that burst of hope Mark felt when he played at Collins Field "I remember as a kid seeing Collins Field and being a young guy I didn't know who Dave Collins was," Ellis said of the fellow Rapid City native who played and coached in the big leagues "It really sparked my interest to find out who Dave Collins was and getting to meet him as a major leaguer player was quite special." Contact Matt at mweiner@rapidcityjournal.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account SAN ANTONIO - A suspect accused of a shooting that left a man severely injured has been arrested after nearly a month on the run was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly weapon after a shooting on March 19 in Canyon Lake that left one man with a gunshot wound to the leg RELATED | Suspect wanted by deputies in connection to Canyon Lake shooting Comal County deputies responded to calls of a shooting in progress near the corner of Sir Arthur Way and King's Row they found a 37-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg He was transported to a nearby hospital and was eventually released The suspect was quickly identified as 62-year-old Brian Joseph Shermer of Canyon Lake The Comal County Sheriff's Office announced that Shermer has been arrested near the corner of Evans Road and Nacogdoches in San Antonio He is currently in custody at the Comal County jail SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE on 4/23: A man accused of shooting another man in Canyon Lake was arrested in San Antonio, according to the Comal County Sheriff’s Office. Brian Joseph Shermer was apprehended without incident near Evans Road and Nacogdoches Road on Tuesday Shermer is being held at the Comal County Jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon ORIGINAL STORY: The Comal County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect accused of shooting another man in Canyon Lake is wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon deputies responded to a shooting in the 300 block of Sir Arthur Way where a 37-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to the leg was taken to a hospital and has since been released Shermer allegedly fled the scene on foot before deputies arrived Shermer was last seen wearing dark clothing Anyone with information on Shermer’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Comal County Sheriff’s Office at 830-620-3400 Gabby Jimenez is a digital journalist at KSAT Gabby is a San Antonio native and joined the KSAT team in January 2025 she has reported for newspapers in Louisiana and Virginia earning a Virginia Press Association award for Combination Photo and Story in 2024 The Fredericksburg High School varsity boys’ baseball team went 1-1 against Canyon Lake the past week of District 27-4A baseball action Copyright ©document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Fredericksburg Standard Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight Comal County Commissioners Court recognized the Kaderli family on Thursday 2025 for receiving a Texas Historical Commission Subject Marker A ceremony is scheduled for May 3 at 10 a.m at Mystic Parkway and Mexican Hat Drive in Spring Branch Benedict and Anetta Kaderli emigrated from Switzerland in 1873 and settled on 160 acres northwest of New Braunfels in 1877 The Kaderli land now hosts part of Canyon Lake’s Mystic Shores subdivision and remains of the original homestead are still visible six miles east of US Highway 281 Descendants of Benedict and Anetta Kaderli were in attendance Thursday at the Comal County Courthouse as a proclamation was read recognizing the family with a Texas Historical Commission Subject Marker The proclamation said that Benedict and Anetta Kaderli arrived in Indianola Texas before procuring a wagon and making the 150-mile trek to New Braunfels They were said to have hidden away their money at the bottom of a wagon grease bucket to protect their nest egg along the way The Kaderlis later built a two-story stone house near Bates Creek Descendants lived near the family homestead until the devastating drought of the 1950s when family members began to move to other nearby towns The proclamation from Comal County Commissioners Court also offered a commendation to Paula Rieker from the Comal County Historical Commission Rieker is the sponsor for the historical marker and the research for her book “The Heritage Lands of the 711 Ranch” ultimately led to its approval A marker dedication ceremony is planned for Saturday May 3 near the intersection of Mystic Parkway and Mexican Hat Drive in Spring Branch Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get the latest breaking news from The Herald-Zeitung. Sign up today Delivering entertainment and live music news straight to your inbox every Thursday morning Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today!   Every Monday evening you'll get caught up with the top stories from the last week Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers The Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) is set to lease its office at 1928 FM 2673 to Comal County for use as a new sheriff's office substation The Comal County Sheriff’s Office is set to add a new substation in Canyon Lake Comal County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to pass an agreement between the county and the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) WORD is set to lease its Sattler office at 1928 FM 2673 to Comal County which intends to use the space as a sheriff’s office substation “This lease was approved by the board of directors Monday evening and in my mind it’s a very elegant solution to the problem of getting the sheriff’s office out of the broom closet over at JP4 and into a temporary location,” WORD General Manager Mike Dussere said Comal County is set to pay WORD $2,000 per month to use the office and is also slated to pay The county is responsible for paying all utilities and providing necessary insurance to cover the premises 2026 for an additional 12 months unless the county defaults on the contract “This is an excellent opportunity for all of us,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover said Texas – A Canyon Lake man was arrested last week on multiple marijuana trafficking charges the Comal County Sheriff’s Office announced on Monday Those records also show Horne is facing two marijuana charges between 1/4 ounce and 5 pounds Comal County deputies said their narcotics unit executed a search warrant at Horne’s home Friday in the 1000 block of Canyon Shores Authorities seized 11.78 pounds of marijuana more than 6.5 ounces (6.56) of THC extract products and $139,060 in cash Horne was booked into the Comal County Jail on $3,000 bond for each charge Deputies said their investigation is ongoing More related alleged drug crime coverage on KSAT: Ryan Cerna is a digital news trainee at KSAT Cerna graduated with degrees in Journalism and Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas in 2024 He has worked in newsrooms in Austin and New York City before his time in San Antonio CANYON LAKE Texas – The Comal County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect accused of shooting another man in Canyon Lake Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Subsequent to an investigation, Comal County Sheriff's Office detectives seized $139,060 in U.S. currency from a Canyon Lake resident. Subsequent to an investigation, detectives seized 11.78 pounds of marijuana and 6.56 ounces of THC extract products at a home in Canyon Shores. Over $139,000 and nearly 12 pounds of marijuana were seized by the Comal County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit on Friday, March 14. Clinton Andrew Horne, a 39-year-old Canyon Lake resident, was arrested after a search warrant was executed in Canyon Shores of Canyon Lake. The narcotics unit executed the search warrant to search for and seize narcotics believed to be at the location. Detectives also served two arrest warrants for delivery of marijuana, between quarter of an ounce to five pounds. The arrest warrants and search warrant were the results of an ongoing investigation into marijuana trafficking by Horne. Subsequent to the investigation, detectives seized $139,060 in U.S. currency, 11.78 pounds of marijuana and 6.56 ounces of THC extract products. Horne was booked into the Comal County Jail and has since been released on a $6,000 bond. This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending. Get the latest breaking news from The Herald-Zeitung. Sign up today! Delivering entertainment and live music news straight to your inbox every Thursday morning. Every Monday evening you'll get caught up with the top stories from the last week. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. FORECASTSHARE PHOTOS & VIDEOCanyon Lake's last boat ramp to shut down Fridayby SBG San Antonio Staff Reports we've watched the 23 boat ramps on Canyon Lake close to public access as the lake level continues to drop Canyon Lake is just under 27 feet down and at a historic low level boat ramp #18 will be closed to the public as the boat ramp now only has about 14 feet of ramp to work with followed by a steep drop at the end of the ramp It's simply too dangerous to use at this point Boat ramp #19 is open but only to members of Canyon Lake Marina at this time Work continues to extend a couple of ramps for public access This October has been incredibly dry in our area and we're now almost 7 inches behind on rainfall Couple this with the ongoing drought from 2020 River flow on the Guadalupe River into Canyon Lake is very weak We'll need sustained periods of rain to build stronger flow we should be able to see a general .25" to .75"+ rainfall in the area temperatures will gradually cool reducing evaporation rates Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More which is over 40 miles north of San Antonio is at the lowest it's been in decades due to the region's extreme drought