Publications

Drought Update – June 28, 2022

As a reminder, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District remains in Stage II Alarm Drought. The District declared Stage II Alarm Drought back on June 9, 2022. While we have received some rain this week and more scattered storms are predicted, it has remained mostly dry throughout the month of June. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, Austin hit 100 degrees 12 days in a row, setting a new June record. Bottom line…hot and dry conditions persist in Central Texas.

What can you do to conserve? Generally, restricting outdoor water use, including limiting landscape irrigation, pool filling and refilling, and non-essential water use such as water fountains, are easy ways to conserve water. It’s also best to only water your lawns once a week during the early morning hours. You can find more conservation tips for both indoor and outdoor conservation here.

The District recommends that both exempt and permitted well owners follow these conservation tips. For additional information on groundwater wells, please take a look at the District’s Well Owner Guide. If you have questions about your well, please contact us at 512-282-8441. We encourage you to call or visit our office (1124 Regal Row, Austin, TX) during office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to review our groundwater management process, receive information about the drought, or if you need assistance with other groundwater related matters.

Texas Drought Monitor

Week of June 27, 2022

Texas Drought Monitor PDF

Rainfall Hydrograph

Rainfall Hydrograph PDF

Since the beginning of 2022 every month except February has seen below average rainfall including May and June, our wettest months of the year. Total 2022 rainfall so far is 11.4 inches which is 6.4 inches behind average as we head into the driest months of the year.

As a reminder, Stage II Alarm Drought requires all District permittees to implement mandatory measures specified in their User Drought Contingency Plans (UDCPs) to meet monthly pumpage reduction requirements.

  • 20% for Edwards Historical and Conditional Class A permittees,
  • 50% for Edwards Conditional Class B permittees,
  • 100% for Edwards Conditional Class C and Class D permittees, and
  • 20% for Trinity and Alluvial/Austin Chalk Historical permittees

The District’s drought triggers, Lovelady Monitor Well and Barton Springs, passed below their drought triggers in late May and late June respectively. Only one of the two drought stage triggers needs to be reached for a drought declaration to be made. However, to exit a drought stage, both Barton Springs and Lovelady must rise above their respective drought trigger values. This latter requirement keeps the District from making multiple declarations about drought over short periods of time.

More information on Stage II Alarm Drought.

The District will send out a monthly drought update while we are in declared drought. Please be on the lookout for our next drought update in our July newsletter, along with an additional update at the end of July. We’ve provided some links below that may be useful in times of drought.

Texas Parks and Wildlife – The State of Water

Ready.gov Drought Preparedness

Other Useful Links:

BSEACD is a groundwater conservation district charged by the Texas Legislature to preserve, conserve, and protect the aquifers and groundwater resources within its jurisdiction, which includes parts of three central Texas counties. It is governed by a Board of five elected directors and staffed with hydrogeologists, groundwater regulatory compliance specialists, environmental educators, geospatial systems specialists, and administrative support personnel.