Wildlife facing challenges due to water woes at Bentsen state park
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An official at a state park located in the city of Mission says they have not received any water since October 2023, causing a drop in water levels in all of their resacas.
Animals are making the most of the little pockets of water that they can find at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park as the heat continues rising.
Roy Rodriguez is the lead interpreter at the park, who showed Channel 5 News how water levels in several lakes have dropped several feet.
“We have a couple of those lakes nearby that are so shallow that they're completely dry,” Rodriguez said. “So unless we get rainfall or have another way of putting water into them, they're going to remain dry."
RELATED STORY: Ponds at state park in Weslaco drying up due to low water levels
A resaca at the popular Hawk Tower attraction in the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is dried up. Its outline is now home to a large grass field.
“[That’s] property that belongs to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they're able to fill it in whenever they can,” Rodriguez said. “Right now it's dry — but in the years they're able to bring water in or in a good year when it rains, it is fantastic, full of wildlife."
Park superintendent OJ Carranco says the irrigation company that provides water to this reservoir hasn't been able to offer water since last October.
The plants and animals are making due with what's left, as they have many times before.
READ MORE: Water levels at Falcon Reservoir reaching historic lows
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