Canyon Lake Spillway

 beach, spillway

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A record flood in July 2002 overtopped the spillway by more than 7 feet high and 1288 feet wide (more than 4 football fields in width, imagine this wall of water!) and caused significant damage below Canyon Dam. In the 2002 flood, the peak flow was about 70,000 cubic feet per second. By the time the flood subsided, the amount of water that flowed over the spillway was about 3 1/2 times the amount of water that the reservoir holds. As a result of this tremendous flood event, a huge "Gorge" was carved out of the limestone just below the spillway by the raging flood waters. Because of it's natural beauty and valuable insight into the geology and hydrologic dynamics of the Glenrose Limestone, the "Gorge" has become a local "Attraction" and has been officially named "The Canyon Lake Gorge", which has spawned a non-profit organization called "The Gorge Preservation Society" (GPS) (www.canyongorge.org). Guided Tours are now available of the Gorge, check their Website for a current schedule, photos and more information. Another Website with additional information about "The Canyon Lake Gorge" is (www.canyonlakeguide.com/helpful_info/gorge.htm)