The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is committed to conserving, protecting, recharging, and preventing waste of groundwater and preserving all aquifers in the District. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District was created in 1987 with a directive to conserve, protect, and enhance the groundwater resources in its jurisdictional area.
BSEACD Aquifer Science team provides sound science to support policy and tactical decisions made by the District that affect water supply users and endangered species habitat. Collecting basic hydrogeologic data and planning and executing projects enhances the understanding of the water resources within the District’s boundaries.
The Regulatory Compliance Team is responsible for a wide range of the District’s responsibilities. Regulatory Compliance Team members have also actively attended and participated in community outreach and regional development and planning groups and served as District liaisons to local municipalities, political subdivisions, permittees, and licensed drillers and pump installers in the area.
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer District actively participates and hosts events designed to engage and educate groundwater users and District residents. Events include stewardship awards, festivals, creek cleanups, presentations to schools and community groups, and teacher trainings.
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has a number of special projects to help advance the scientific understanding and better manage groundwater resources within the District.
One of the most effective ways to conserve, protect, and manage our the groundwater resources is to keep you informed of the science, current conditions, and regulations affecting our District. Sign up on the Friends of the District email list and receive: Quarterly newsletters, Aquifer status updates, Drought declarations, Conservation information, and Important news.
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District strives to meet a high standard by providing clear, consistent pictures of spending, and by sharing information in user-friendly formats, to promote financial transparency and accountability, not only through financial reports but also through summaries, visualizations, downloadable data, and other relevant information.
Middle Trinity Aquifer Synoptic
Jeff Watson, Staff Hydrogeologist at BSEACD, measuring Pleasant Valley Spring flow on September 14, 2023 with Radu Boghici, Hydrogeologist at Hays Trinity GCD. This month the District began conducting a synoptic survey of the Middle Trinity Aquifer. This involves measuring hundreds of Trinity Aquifer wells within a set timeframe and provides an overarching ‘snapshot’ of…
Read MoreBlue Hole Regional Park on September 1, 2023. Photo by City of Wimberley Parks and Recreation Department. It’s been almost a year since the District declared Stage III Critical Drought on October 20, 2022. Since then, according to Texas Monthly, some impressive records have been set including the: Hottest July in recorded history (average temperature:…
Read MoreBy Tim Loftus, General Manager of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Drought in the contiguous US as reported by the US Drought Monitor on September 21, 2023. We’re coping with a silent but not unfamiliar enemy: drought. And we’re not alone. Daily news stories serve as reminders that water-supply challenges have become both commonplace…
Read MoreDry riverbed of Barton Creek Record Heat for the Texas Hill Country August has been a continuation of this summer’s incredibly hot and dry conditions. According to KXAN, August 17, 2023 reached 110 degrees and tied for the third hottest day recorded in Austin history and the second-hottest day ever observed in the month of…
Read MorePhoto of Jacob’s well in July 2023 taken by Hays County Parks Department. Dry, Hot Weather Exacerbates Drought Conditions Extreme heat across Central Texas has been a mainstay of news headlines over the past couple of months. Following an abnormally hot June, according to the Austin American-Statesman, we’re on pace for the hottest July on…
Read MoreBy Shay Hlavaty Photo of dry Onion Creek riverbed in April 2023. Barton Springs’ 10-day average flow fell to 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) on July 24, 2023. This is based on field measurements collected by the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (the District). For reference, the average flow for the springs since 1978…
Read More2023 Rainfall So Far We’re halfway through the year, and while April and May rains provided much-needed recharge to the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, we remain in Stage III Critical Drought. This was initially declared on October 20, 2022, when the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) Lovelady monitor well passed below the Stage…
Read MoreWritten by Dr. Tim Loftus The 88th Legislature, Regular Session passed SB 1745 that will take effect on September 1, 2023. The new law allows the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (the District) to gradually increase Trinity production permit fees over the next few years to become equivalent to the fee for Conditional Edwards permits.…
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Report: View
Source: BSEACD
Format: Report of Investigations
Year: 2023
View the executive summary here. The Trinity Aquifer in Hays County is an important groundwater resource which is the only available source of drinking water to people living in central and western Hays County, and is the source of ecologically, culturally, and economically important springs within the Blanco River Basin. Pumping has increased in…
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