Comal County adopts $4.5M Water Oriented Recreation District budget

For 2024, funding for the maintenance and operations of parks and water recreation access in Comal County will clock in at $4.5 million.

The Comal County Commissioners Court approved that amount Dec. 28 as part of the Water Oriented Recreation District’s annual budget.

The background

The WORD serves three parks in Comal County and encompasses Canyon Lake as well as 30 miles of the Guadalupe River both above and below the reservoir up to New Braunfels city limits. The district issues permits to water-related businesses allowing them to collect user fees that go toward environmental stewardship, litter removal, emergency medical services, law enforcement, sanitation, community outreach and other priorities, according to its website.

General Manager Mike Dussere told the court the revenue forecast was downgraded due to ongoing drought conditions. As of Jan. 2, Canyon Lake's elevation stood at 887.6 feet, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Normal elevation is 909 feet.

Quote of note

“We allocated about a quarter-million dollars to go towards running community events and programs within the parks that we operate,” Dussere said. “We also allocated about $100,000 for shoreline cleanup [for] some of the trash that's being exposed whenever the lake recedes.”