A longtime Medina County conservation group is calling for the closure of the century-old Bexar-Medina- Atascosa (BMA) Irrigation District canal system, which receives water from Medina Lake, arguing that the district's water management practices have prevented the lake from recovering from years of drought.

Medina Lake was constructed primarily as an irrigation reservoir in 1912 and currently serves approximately 300 to 500 farmers, who purchase irrigation water for $36 per acre-foot.

Conservation advocates say that this model no longer reflects the region's population growth, the economic importance of the lake to surrounding communities or Medina Lake's role in recharging the Edwards and Upper Trinity aquifers.