DEL RIO, Texas – Lake Amistad is rising again after this week’s storms, climbing 1.4 feet in two days and almost 8 feet since the start of October, according to Texas Water Development Board data.

The reservoir stood at 1,064.54 feet above sea level on Saturday, Oct. 31, up from 1,063.14 feet on Thursday, Oct. 29, and 1,056.87 feet on Oct. 1, according to the agency’s Water Data for Texas reservoir tracker. The lake rose 0.76 feet on Friday alone and another 0.64 feet by Saturday.

The lake is now 47.9% full, holding about 869,186 acre-feet of water in its conservation pool, which can hold 1,813,408 acre-feet, according to the TWDB. That is up from 45.9% just a few days earlier.

Even with the gains, Amistad is still more than 52 feet below the top of its conservation pool at 1,117 feet.

Why it matters

Amistad, on the Rio Grande northwest of Del Rio, is one of the main reservoirs that stores water for cities, farms and ranches along the border, including irrigation users downstream in Maverick County. The reservoir is operated by the International Boundary and Water Commission and holds water for both the United States and Mexico.

The latest rise followed storms Thursday that dropped more than 4 inches of rain near Del Rio, according to the National Weather Service. Del Rio has recorded 6.14 inches of rain in October, about three times its normal for the month, according to NWS climate data.

Read our earlier coverage: Maverick County Advances Flood Warning Siren Plan

Sources: Texas Water Development Board, Water Data for Texas | IBWC weekly reservoir storage | NWS Del Rio climate report