Canyon Lake businesses that rely on local residents and tourists are facing growing uncertainty as water levels fluctuate amid a significant drought.
Some restaurants saw a boost during spring break, but others said business was slower than expected. At Genarro’s Italian Kitchen, one employee said, “We were very blessed that it was busy. We picked up over the weekend.”
Lucky’s Pub had a different experience. A worker there said, “We had the first week was kind of slow. The second week we got, it was we got a good, a good crowd.”
According to Water Data for Texas, the Canyon Lake reservoir loses nearly 34 million gallons of water every day. The lake is just above half full at 54 percent, but businesses said the drought is still taking a toll.
At Genarro’s, one employee said customer counts can vary widely week to week: “The weeks will fluctuate. It could be anywhere between 500 to 1000.”
At Lucky’s, a worker said low water levels are already affecting business: “The lake’s low it is definitely hitting us.”
Business owners and employees also believe other factors may be keeping visitors away, including gas prices. One worker said, “We used to get people from Houston, you know, from South Texas, East Texas, but, I mean, it’s typically though this time of year is slow.”
Even with the lake level down, businesses said they are encouraging people to visit and are looking ahead to the peak season. “I know it’s very low, but we do encourage everybody to at least come and give us a try. So we’re hopefully anticipating a busy summer,” one worker said.
Businesses in the area said they are holding out hope for the summer season, along with more rain — and more customers.