Purchase of $7,000 Recreational Water from Maverick County Water Control & Improvement District No. 1 May Fill Up County Lake

By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

A water purchase costing approximately $7,000 could deliver more than 4.5 million gallons to the shrinking Maverick County Lake, providing some relief after more than three years without the county purchasing water to replenish the popular recreational site.

The Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 will begin accepting water orders October 1 at a current price of approximately $500 per acre-foot for recreational water.

Once the district’s canal system is recharged and water becomes available for delivery, Maverick County can submit a request to purchase recreational water for the lake.

In previous years, the county purchased as much as 14 acre-feet of water at a time. At the current price, that amount would cost approximately $7,000.

Fourteen acre-feet equals approximately 4.56 million gallons. One acre-foot is the amount of water necessary to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot and contains about 325,851 gallons.

Although the purchase would not resolve all the lake’s long-term problems, it could provide urgently needed relief.

Large portions of the lakebed are currently exposed, while the remaining water is confined to a much smaller area.

The deteriorating condition has raised concerns about the lake’s future and the wildlife that depends on it.

The problem is not new.

Concerns were raised in 2025 about the lack of water purchases and the condition of the pipeline and canal used to carry water into the lake. Cracks and other deterioration along the canal reportedly allowed significant amounts of water to escape before reaching the recreational site.
More than a year later, many of those concerns appear to remain unresolved.

The water shortage affecting Maverick County also extends beyond the lake.

For several years, the water district has faced severe limitations on the amount of irrigation water it can distribute.

Agricultural producers, including farmers and pecan growers, have struggled with reduced allocations and increasingly dry conditions. Dry fields and stressed pecan orchards remain visible evidence of the prolonged shortage.

Regional reservoirs experienced some improvement following rainfall and flooding during the summer of 2026.

However, Amistad and Falcon international reservoirs remained well below full capacity, meaning the larger Rio Grande water shortage had not ended.

When supplies are limited, agricultural producers and other authorized customers compete for a resource already under considerable pressure.

Providing water for a recreational lake becomes increasingly difficult when farms and orchards are also struggling to secure sufficient allocations.

The Maverick County Lake was constructed during the 1970s and became a familiar destination for fishing, walking, family gatherings and community events.

With water orders reopening October 1, county officials must now decide whether to request an allocation and provide the approximately $7,000 needed to purchase 14 acre-feet or let the lake continue to dry up.

After more than three years without a county water purchase, the upcoming ordering period presents an opportunity to deliver approximately 4.56 million gallons and begin replenishing the lake before conditions deteriorate further.