People living in Zapata County are seeing a big turnaround in rainfall and lake levels, but they're not quite in the clear yet.

Zapata is in need of moisture and recent storms have brought significant rain and the levels of Falcon Reservoir are much higher.

The Falcon Reservoir bridge now has water on both sides again. The dam's shores are swelling and fishermen from out of town are visiting. The water levels have also been good for ranching.

Rancher Javier Zapata is leasing land from the government to graze the banks of the reservoir, and has now been blessed by the new rain and new lake levels.

"It benefits a lot to Zapata," Zapata said.

Wildlife is taking advantage of the changes here in the city of Zapata.

The moisture from the lake and the sky is making the grass and the brush green once again.

In 2022, the lake level reached a 20-year low. Lake levels dropped as low as 253 feet above sea level and today, it's at 267.

"You add 14 feet of water to our lake, it makes a considerable difference," Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell said.

Judge Rathmell says the release came after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a water release from Amistad Reservoir, 200 miles upriver.

But the entire Rio Grande watershed as a whole is still very low on water.

"We need a lot of rain, and then we need some water releases from their Mexican reservoirs," Rathmell said.

Right now, the fishing is better in Zapata. The grass is green and cows are happy. The rain is here, and the lake is back up.

Watch the video above for the full story.