Our campground was established in 1987 and is located just south of the Second Crossing Bridge. The property was originally part of the KL Ranch, established by my Grandfather, Robert Bretzke, in 1897.
Our customers are primarily family groups and many return every year. When you operate a camping facility along the Guadalupe River, rain forecasts are not taken lightly and precautions are always taken.
On June 8-9, 2010 severe weather was reported for the New Braunfels area. From 10 PM and throughout the night, we were closely watching both the local reports and the Weather Channel. The staff was regularly checking our rain gauges. When they get to three inches - beware. Along with that, we monitor the river for muddy water and debris. As in any potential “rain event”, someone regularly drives up to check the flow at Jacob’s Creek, across from the Little Ponderosa Subdivision.
There are many creeks that feed the Guadalupe River. Hill Country weather can be fickle. Some creeks even surprise the “old timers’’ by their occasional ferocity. From our experience, there are two main points of significant inflow into the Guadalupe: Jacobs Creek and Bear Creek. Both drain large watersheds to the North and West of the river. Jacobs is easy to monitor but Bear is not. When Jacobs Creek is full and significant water is flowing across River Road, it is time to evacuate our camp at Second Crossing.
At 3 AM Jacob’s was barely running. However, the rain was still heavy with thunder and lightning. With a sense of caution, we decided to clear the Camp at 4 AM and woke everyone up. Coffee and information were available in the office. At this point, the water was rising but not particularly fast. Some campers took their travel trailers from camping spots close to the river. Others decided to go to town for breakfast and left their units on site. Shortly after 5 AM, our campground was clear of people.
About 5:30AM the water just surged. We grabbed the money and the reservation book, jumped into the vehicle and headed for higher ground. From the bluff, we watched water go over Second Crossing Bridge and travel trailers followed. In no time, our trailers, office, store, picnic tables, shed, and everything else were washed away. The owner of the adjacent camp barely pulled out an elderly man from his car just before it went into the river. It turned out, that during the night, the Bear Creek Watershed received over ten inches of rain with predicable results. Volumes of water entered the river at the Lazy L&L Camp. There was no warning.
Flash floods are a reality on the Guadalupe River. Safety is always an issue and it is a blessing that we decided to clear our campground on June 9th with no fatalities or injuries. Others were not so fortunate. We have had to clear our grounds about forty times since 1987. The proposal to build a roadway and bridge from FM 306 westward will obviously contribute to additional severe flooding. Concrete structures and roadways will cause water to flow faster to the lowest point, ie: Second Crossing. Removing natural foliage will compound the problem. We have seen and experienced what happens and what will happen again.
In the same rain event of June 9, New Braunfels also had serious flooding due to the HEB project and other new construction. The city has not fully recovered from that experience. Simply put, placing the Outer Loop at Second Crossing and adjacent areas will cause more serious flood issues for us, for other businesses, for New Braunfels and for communities downriver.
Shirley and Bobby Hanover
Second Crossing Camp on the Guadalupe River
