Canyon Lake Gorge carved during flood of 2002 opening for public tours

Those of us who lived in the San Antonio and, particularly, the Hill Country north and northwest of San Antonio, will never forget the flood of early July 2002, when a large area here received 30 inches or more of rain in less than a week.   

As a result of those tremendous rains, Canyon Lake, a mid-size reservoir on the Guadalupe River, rose dramatically.  Soon, tremendous amounts of water started pouring over the wide, grassy spillway for the first time in its history (Canyon Dam was built in the 1960s).

The rains were over in a week, but the water continued to rampage through the spillway for weeks thereafter.  When the lake finally dropped and the spillway dried out, a brand new, stunning, gorge was revealed.

I've been aware of this new geologic feature since shortly after the floods.  I have even had the opportunity on at least two occasions to take a private tour, but have unfortunately yet been unable to visit.

Now, more than five years later, the general public will finally get their chance to examine the Canyon Lake Gorge, as the Express-News reports that it opens for Saturday guided tours starting today.

Via this article, I also discovered the Gorge Preservation Society, apparently a "local citizen's group" that has joined with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers to develop long-term plans for the new gorge.

The newness of the geology is one reason why visitors are not allowed to visit unattended, as it is still unstable, and thus both dangerous and in need of extra protection.

I certainly plan to take advantage of these public tours soon, and plan to report back here with pictures.

Update:  Maybe I won't be able to go so soon.  From a longer article via AP comes crucial info that the Express-News left out:

Early demand for the 3-hour tours is so high they are booked for at least six months. Rhoad said the authority hopes to train more docents so dates can be added.