Earth Matters


Big boats, bigger pumps and a sinking canoe


This is shaping up to be one of the lowest water years yet for the Texas Water Safari. Texas had the driest October to April on record, and those who have been racing the Texas Water Safari for decades say the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers are looking like they did back in 2009 and 1984.

That low water is the only reason we were able to keep up with John Bugge and his six-man canoe for a few minutes as they had to pull their boat across a gravel bar.

What that means is a lot of boats hitting a lot of rocks and paddlers looking with anger at any pump they see taking water from rivers, like this one just south of the city of San Marcos. (Photo taken by Dwayne TeGrotenhuis, of T&G Canoe.)

By state law anyone owning land that abuts a river can take as much water as they want as long as it is not used for agriculture or industry, those uses have to have a permit. According to the TCEQ, it’s legal to maintain up to 200 acre-feet in a reservoir if it is used for livestock or just as something to look at. That’s enough water to put a football field, including the end zones, under 150 feet of water. With the San Marcos now flowing at 120 cubic feet per second, it would take almost a full day for the river to fill such lake.

This use is not monitored nor are the landowners required to say what they are taking from the river. So as those reservoirs are baking under the hot summer sun and the water evaporates, the pumps can run to keep the reservoirs full. TCEQ Spokeswoman Andrea Morrow says that the agency does its best to ask landowners not to waste water but has no idea who is taking water or how much.

 The fish and trees along the river may not like low water or those who like to look at it and see water, but for us it may actually be a help.

We decided to find out what would happen if we flipped the canoe in deep water. The conclusion was we should not flip unless we are within swimming distance of shore. It turns out that once a loaded metal canoe fills with water and flips, it likes to stay that way.

Colin McDonald

Colin McDonald

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