Storms replenish Hill Country rivers, Jacob’s Well after historic drought

After a long drought, the Texas Hill Country received inches of rain these past three days. The flood waters were enough to get a beloved swimming spot flowing once again and an iconic river saw enormous growth around New Braunfels. 

South and Central Texas saw up to a foot of water, including cities along the I-35 corridor which received around five inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. 

Jacob’s Well was one of the bodies of water to benefit from the rain and is once again flowing. Photos of the now-filled swimming hole were shared on Facebook by David Baker Bear, who couldn’t help but share the good news. 

It is unknown when the waterhole will be re-opened to swimmers. However, Hays County Parks encourages the public to check their website for future updates.

Further up the road, the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels was transformed into a raging rapid. Rockin R River Rides shared a video on Facebook of the river with a strong current pushing through, saying, “When it rains, it pours here in NBTX.”

Many river lovers ran to the comments to share their excitement for the rise in water level.

“So good to see the river that high again!!!!” wrote Joel Rodgers. 

“Hopefully it will be up enough this summer to have a good float,” wrote Cindy Bryant. 

Video of the strong current also follows low water levels. Back in August 2023, Guadalupe River State Park officials shared “sad” photos of the water levels.

But this week’s rejoicing didn’t stop there either, as residents were excited to see a video of the Comal River looking strong. Located just over 20 miles from the Guadalupe, a video of the Comal River was posted by In & Around New Braunfels. 

Other TikTok users took the chance to comment their enthusiasm for the water level change. 

“The river was so low in September!!! So glad to see it is full,” said Momma Dee.