About the Dam Community Alliance
Our Story
On May 21, 2018 the Canyon Dam Service Road was closed to the public. The decision to restrict access was made after a formal complaint was received alleging violations of the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. The subsequent investigation revealed the Dam’s 1.29-mile service road was never intended for public use. Consequently, the service road (which is 224 feet above the lake bed) was not built to meet federal safety and accessibility regulations. In the face of these serious violations, the United States Army Corps of Engineers had no choice but to close the service road to the public. The decision to close the Dam to pedestrians was a terrible blow to the Canyon Lake community. The Dam has provided the residents of Canyon Lake a sense of identity for over 55 years and has served as the location for several fundraisers that support the community’s services. Lastly, it is a valuable public health resource providing the only flat, pedestrian friendly walkway in the Canyon Lake area.
Soon after the closure, a group of enthusiastic Canyon Lake residents came together and began working towards reopening the service road to the public. This grassroots effort grew into the Dam Community Alliance, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to benefiting the Canyon Lake community. Thanks to the generosity of local donors along with the donations/proceeds from the first annual DCA Dam Fine Car Show, held across the top of the dam, newly accessible entries as well as bump stops lining both sides of the service road were installed and the dam once again was opened to pedestrians 464 days later, on August 27, 2019.
Our Vision
As the non-profit partner of the US Corps of Engineers Canyon Lake Office we are committed to the planning, fundraising and completion of projects dedicated to enriching the lake, the dam, and the surrounding parks for the benefit of the community, and visitors alike.
Our Board Members
Jen Crownover
Jen is a native Texan and was raised in South Texas on a farm where her father is the 3rd generation farmer of the land. After high school, she attended Texas Lutheran University where she met and married her husband, Mike. She finished her studies in Business and Communications at the University of Houston in Clear Lake. They lived the first four years in Galveston where Mike attended Medical School, and then Syracuse, NY, for three years while he completed his residency. Once complete, they high-tailed it back to the warm weather and wonderful town of New Braunfels where they have settled, raised their boys, worked hard, and enjoyed life ever since.
Serving the community has always been a priority for Jen and her family. Since moving to Comal County in 2006 the Crownovers have relished the opportunity to serve with numerous volunteer organizations and several important community initiatives. It was through these endeavors that Jen had the opportunity to meet with many of our public leaders and learn the inner-workings of our county government. As her interest grew so did her passion and, seeing an incredible opportunity to step up her game and serve Comal County and her wonderful communities in a larger capacity, she made the decision to run for the open seat of County Commissioner.
Jen and her family live in the Canyon Lake area. She and her husband (a physician and military veteran) have raised their two sons in Canyon Lake, and are now enjoying it with a grandson as well!
Paul Vonheeder
I’m a long-time, part-time resident (since my birth in 1957) and now a much happier full-time resident (since 2017). We love our old rock home on the Guadalupe river, taking the dogs for walks, driving through the hills and exploring all the Hill Country has to offer. I have such a love for this area and our precious resources that are Canyon Lake and the Guadalupe river. They need our help in order to be preserved and enjoyed for ourselves and generations to come.
Jenny Rendon
Coming soon!
Mark Ziobro
Coming soon!
Margaret VonEgmond
Margaret has been visiting Canyon Lake since 1990 when her in-laws retired here. She and her husband Tom bought their first lot on the lake in 2000 and in 2018 moved permanently here from Houston. A move they both are glad they made! Margaret is a Chemical Engineer by degree but has worked as a project manager late in her career.
A love of the outdoors and feeling connected to the community is what drew Margaret to be a part of the DCA Board. She and her husband run across the dam and swim the length of the base regularly. Keeping our lake accessible and encouraging use of our parks are priorities that Margaret will continue to support. Canyon Lake is a beautiful place to live and visit!
Eric Nelson
My name is Eric Nelson. I grew up in Canyon Lake and was apart of Canyon Lake High Schools first graduating class in 2010. After graduation, I went to the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor where I played football and earned my Bachelor's degree in Exercise Kinesiology. After college, I moved back to Canyon Lake to start my personal training business, Workouts on Wheels (or WOW), because I wanted to build a health minded community here. I started as a mobile training business in 2015 but am lucky to now have a gym location in Sattler. I am married to my wife Lisa and have a daughter named Thea (born in 2022).
Angela Hemphill
Born and raised here in Canyon Lake (1977), Angela Hemphill resides on the Northwest side. She moved away shortly after high school but could not find somewhere that held the beauty and serenity like Canyon Lake did in her eyes. She gets the privilege of serving the community as the Chief Financial Officer at Canyon Lake Fire/EMS as well as a Paramedic which is where you might have seen her. When she’s not running spreadsheets or running calls on the ambulance, she enjoys spending time with her kiddos, grandkids and friends.
Jeromy Yeager
Coming Soon!