The Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District in central Texas declared on September 12 “exceptional drought” conditions for just the second time in its 38-year history.
The decision follows a rapid drop in groundwater levels at a monitoring well in South Austin. The 10-day average water level was 457 feet mean sea level (ft-msl), the threshold to trigger a stage 3 exceptional drought. For comparison, the long-term average at the monitoring well is 490.9 ft-msl, more than 30 feet higher.
The district noted requirements in an exceptional drought are a 30 percent to 100 percent reduction in groundwater pumping among the district’s more than 120 permit holders, which includes individual well owners, water utilities, and municipalities.
This decline reflects low water levels in both the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, which the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District manages portions of from the Colorado River in Austin to southern San Marcos.
Nearly 100,000 residents rely on these aquifer segments for drinking water. The district added it has been in a continuous drought for 39 months. The last time the district declared an exceptional drought was in December 2023.
The area historically receives an average of 22.2 inches of rainfall from March to September, but this year has received just 17.1 inches during that timeframe.
Click here to read more.