DROUGHT MONITOR

January 25, 2012 Update

2012-01-25T16:14:00.006-06:00

Drought Status: Critical
Barton Springs: 30+ cfs estimated*
Lovelady: 193.3 ft

Rainfall on Wednesday morning varied from less than 2, to more than 6 inches in the Onion creek watershed. The heaviest rainfall fell on, and downstream of, the Edwards Recharge Zone in the Barton Springs area. This is reflected in flow of less than 10 cfs at the Onion Creek at Driftwood station on the upstream side of the recharge zone, and the Twin Creeks gage downstream of the recharge zone that reached 700 cfs! In other words, we did get recharge, but it will be temporary and not sustained since the creeks won't continue to flow. However, the ground is saturated enough such that a few inches in the contributing zone could really generate some sustained flow and recharge. Thus, the conditions are primed to get us out of drought--if we get more rain.

*Data from Barton Springs is estimated, but is well above 20 cfs and rising. In a few days there will be some better estimates. Lovelady has leveled off, but these rains will raise the water level in the next few days.

Here is a snapshot of rainfall totals over the past 48 hrs since 1/25/12 4pm (courtesy of the LCRA Hydromet).

There was some significant recharge occurring in the upland (and even in creeks) albeit temporary. Below is a picture of a small tributary of Slaughter Creek with a cave name Brodie Cave, capturing (recharging) all of the streamflow.

January 2012 Aquifer Update

2012-01-11T16:10:00.002-06:00

Drought Stage: Critical Stage III
Barton Springs Flow: 22.2 10-day average
Lovelady: 193.3 ft

Despite the above-average rainfall in November and December for central Texas, we remain firmly in Critical Drought conditions. The rains provided some recharge to the aquifer, but the rise and benefit will only be temporary unless substantial rainfall occurs over the next 6 months. Unfortunately La Nina conditions exist, which generally mean drier-than-normal conditions.

Drought story and photos

2012-01-05T08:36:00.003-06:00

Click here for an audio story from KUT and the Texas Tribune on the future impacts of the drought.

Click here for images of the 2011 drought from the AAS photo blog "collective vision."

December Aquifer Update

2011-12-15T13:12:00.002-06:00

Drought Status: Critical Stage III
Barton Springs: 18 cfs (19.5 cfs 10-day average)
Lovelady: 194.0 ft

The recent rainfall totals for November were near average, and above-average for December. That has brought about some relief to the dryness, but very nominal recharge and relief to the aquifer. Barton Springs discharge has temporarily spiked in response to the rainfall, but minimal response in the Lovelady well indicates very little addition to storage.

A great summary of the recent rains can be found on Bob Rose's (LCRA) blog. Click here.

The District's December newsletter highlights the current drought.

The Office of the Texas State Climatologist (OTSC) has a good statewide summary of the 2011 drought--click here.

November-December Rains Help, but....

2011-12-05T12:13:00.003-06:00

Recent rainfall totals of up to 5 inches throughout central Texas since mid-November have been a welcome addition to record-breaking dry year. In fact, the rainfall for November and December total just above average for those two months. Consecutive above-average rainfall months haven't occurred since June and July of 2010 with passing of Hurricane Alex and other tropical storms.

Although these rains have set the conditions for runoff that could help alleviate the groundwater drought, the recent rains have not produced runoff and are far from ending our drought. The Blanco River (at Wimberley) and some of the more urbanized creeks in the Austin area, such as Williamson and Slaughter, had temporary rises in stage and flow due to the flow. However, Onion Creek has not had any substantial flows from these rainfalls. Barton Springs has also had a temporary rise due to the localized (urban-runoff) effects, but will quickly decline to pre-rainfall levels in the next few days.

Many months of above-average rainfall, or sufficiently large rainfall events (>10 inches) under the right conditions, are needed to help alleviate the drought conditions.

Summary of 2011 Drought by the Office of the State Climatologist

2011-12-05T11:58:00.003-06:00

A great summary article from the Fountainhead of the 2011 drought by the State Climatologist (Nielsen-Gammon) can be found by clicking here. The Office of the State Climatologist also has an excellent summary of the 2011 drought. Click here for a link to the summary report. The figure below is from the Nielsen-Gammon article and shows just how unusually hot and dry the 2011 summer was. Note the average summer temperatures were >2 degrees hotter and about 1 inch drier than previous record-breaking summers.

A drought for the centuries: It hasn’t been this dry in Texas since 1789

2011-11-18T10:01:00.001-06:00

Click here to read an article from the Texas Climate News (by Bill Dawson).

SNAPSHOTS OF THE DROUGHT

A drought for the centuries: It hasn’t been this dry in Texas since 1789

There was only one other year in almost five centuries when Texas’ summer drought was as severe as it was in 2011, federal climate experts have concluded.

Instrumental weather records used to measure drought severity don’t go back much before the 20th century. (In Texas, they date to 1895.)

To establish a longer-range record, scientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have analyzed tree-ring data and calculated how drought conditions dating back hundreds of years (to 1550 in Texas) ranked on the standard Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI).

Positive numbers on the PDSI represent wet conditions and negative numbers indicate dry conditions. The more severe a drought is, the lower its PDSI number.

Texas’ average PDSI this past summer (June through August) was -5.37 – the lowest, indicating the most severe drought conditions, since the start of the instrumental record in 1895.

And according to the federal government’s National Climatic Data Center, there was apparently only one other year during the last 461 years when Texas had a drought so severe.

Going back to 1550, the tree-ring reconstructions reveal that only in 1789 was Texas’ PDSI number so low, the center reported recently. (For our readers who don’t readily recall key historical dates, 1789 was the year when George Washington was inaugurated as the United States’ first president and also when the French Revolution started.) Here’s part of the National Climatic Data Center’s report:

The tree-ring record can put the droughts of the last century across Texas, including 2011, into a much longer perspective. The frequency of severe one-year statewide droughts appears not to have significantly changed between the “paleo” period (1550-1894) and the instrumental period (after 1895). Both the instrumental and reconstructed PDSI records indicate that “severe” or “extreme” statewide summer drought (PDSI below -3) occurred in about 1 in 15 years. “Extreme” statewide summer droughts (PDSI below -4) such as 2011 and 1956 are seen in about 1 in 40 years in both the instrumental and reconstructed records.

So how does the 2011 summer PDSI (-5.37) compare to the worst one-year paleo-droughts? We first need to consider that the tree rings are imperfect recorders of past drought, and so the reconstructed values have confidence intervals (or “error bands”) associated with them. When this error band is taken into account, there is only one value in the paleo record, 1789 (-5.14), that can be said to be equivalent to the 2011 observed value. Thus, 2011 appears to be unusual even in the context of the multi-century tree-ring record.

[…]

The current drought in Texas has been unprecedented relative to the century-long observed record in a number of ways: the record-low precipitation, the extreme summer heat, and the enormous wildfires. The tree-ring record of PDSI confirms that, in a much longer context, the 2010-2011 Texas drought is an extraordinary event.

And it appears no relief is in sight, the federal Climate Prediction Center said last week in its Winter Outlook for December through February:

With La Niña in place Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and parts of surrounding states are unlikely to get enough rain to alleviate the ongoing drought. Texas, the epicenter of the drought, experienced its driest 12-month period on record from October 2010 through September 2011.

– Bill Dawson

November Aquifer Update

2011-11-17T12:05:00.002-06:00

Drought Stage: Critical Stage III
Barton Springs flow: 17 cfs (estimated)
Lovelady Well: 193.9 ft depth to water

Recent rains of up to 1 inch were very welcome, but did almost nothing for the aquifer in terms of recharge.

Oct 27th Aquifer Update

2011-11-05T21:05:00.001-05:00

Barton Springs 10-day average ~17 cfs*
Lovelady: 193.0 ft depth to water

*this is our best estimate at this time.

October Aquifer Update

2011-10-12T10:44:00.002-05:00

Drought Status: Critical Stage III
Barton Springs Flow: 20 cfs (19.4 10-day average)
Lovelady Depth to Water: 192.4 ft

The recent rainfall of about 1.5 inches was very good for vegetation and soil moisture. However, very little of that rainfall provided recharge to the aquifer.

Drought could last unitl 2020 says State Climatologist

2011-10-08T08:42:00.003-05:00

Cick here for a link to the brief Austin American Statesman article on the topic. Click here for an extended article.

September Aquifer Update

2011-09-29T10:32:00.003-05:00

Drought Stage: Critical Stage III
Lovelady: 191.8 ft depth to water
Barton Springs: 18.7 cfs 10-day average

Repeat of the Drought of Record?

2011-09-29T10:30:00.001-05:00

Excerpt from the TWDB Newsletter September 2011...

Ocean Temperatures and Predicting Drought in Texas
The current drought in Texas is capturing national and international attention. While it's not unusual for Texas to experience dry spells, the current dry spell is notable for its fierce intensity and state-wide impact resulting in record-breaking low rainfalls and record-breaking high temperatures across the state. The state climatologist has already declared the current dry spell the worst one-year drought in Texas' history. Given how drought prone Texas is, that's saying something.

There's an old saw among ranchers that one more day of drought means one day closer to rain. But the question remains: When will this drought break? Ultimately, no one knows. However, scientists often look to sea surface temperatures for clues on long-term weather trends.

Oceans impact the atmosphere and thus the weather (short-term variations) and the climate (long-term variations). A dramatic example is a hurricane where warm sea surface temperatures feed large swirling storms. When a hurricane moves from ocean to land thereby breaking the ocean-atmosphere connection, it rapidly weakens. More subtle changes in ocean temperatures also affect the weather and climate.

A well-known example of how subtle changes in ocean temperatures impact the weather in Texas is the El Niño Southern Oscillation (known by the cool kids as "ENSO"). This oscillation is represented by sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes the temperatures are warmer than usual (El Niño conditions), sometimes they are cooler than usual (La Niña conditions), and sometimes they are in-between (neutral conditions). Any particular ENSO phase tends to persist for 6 to 18 months. Scientists have noticed that El Niño conditions tend to result in wetter conditions in Texas during the winter months and a general suppression of tropical storm activity and that La Niña conditions tend to result in dryer conditions in Texas with a greater number of hurricanes with greater intensity in the Atlantic. The current drought started with the onset of La Niña conditions. We are currently in a neutral phase with a 50 percent chance for a return of La Niña conditions this fall and winter. A return of La Niña means the probable persistence of the current drought.

There are other less talked about sea surface temperature oscillations that appear to relate to the climate of Texas. One is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the other is the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is represented by a seesaw of sea surface temperatures between the central Pacific and the Pacific coast of North America. It typically lasts for 20 to 30 years. Currently the PDO is in a "cool" phase with cooler sea surface temperatures along the Pacific Coast. Similar to ENSO, the PDO's cool phase is associated with below average rainfall and higher temperatures for the southern United States and northern Mexico. "Warm" PDO events are associated with the opposite: lower temperatures and higher rainfall.

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is represented by sea surface temperatures in the northern Atlantic Ocean. AMO is associated with the frequency and severity of drought in North America and the frequency of severe hurricanes in the Atlantic. Two of the most severe droughts in North American recorded history, the Dust Bowl and the drought of the 1950s, occurred when a warm AMO that lasted from 1925 to 1965 lined up with La Niña and PDO events. A cool AMO persisted from 1965 up until the mid-1990s when warm conditions returned.

There are other oscillations besides the PDO, ENSO, and AMO that are known to affect climate in Texas. Some of these include the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Madden Julian Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole, and the Southern Annular Mode. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has a major influence on winter climate in the northern hemisphere. How the NAO may interact with ENSO, PDO, and AMO in influencing the climate over Texas is still unclear. Factors such as changes in the "preferred" locations of atmospheric high pressure systems and storm tracks also influence climate over Texas. Some of these factors are directly influenced by the oscillations. Some are the result of a dryer land surface leading to warmer temperatures leading to less rainfall that further dries out the land surface and increases warming....and so on in a feedback loop. Some of these other oscillations are known to act in concert with ENSO and may have some (as yet undefined) role to play in the occurrence and severity of drought in Texas.

While the phase of any of these oscillations, individually or collectively, doesn't guarantee drought or non-drought conditions, certain phases appear to increase the chances that we will see certain climatic conditions. During the drought of the 1950s, a warm AMO, a cold PDO, and a La Nina lined up for the hotter and drier conditions that defined our drought of record. Interestingly (and perhaps alarmingly), with warmer sea surface temperatures in the north Atlantic, cooler temperatures along the Pacific Coast, and recent and projected La Nina conditions, all three seem to be lining up again...

NOAA's State of the Climate: August 2011

2011-09-20T13:01:00.004-05:00

Click here to see the complete details and overview of August 2011 from NOAA. Some of the climatic "highlights" noted in this overview include:

"....Texas is experiencing a drought of greater intensity, but not yet duration, than those of the 1930s and 1950s.

An analysis of Texas statewide tree-ring records dating back to 1550 indicates that the summer 2011 drought in Texas is matched by only one summer (1789) in the 429-year tree-ring record, indicating that the summer 2011 drought appears to be unusual even in the context of the multi-century tree-ring record."

Aquifer Update: Critical Stage III Drought

2011-09-19T10:20:00.002-05:00

Drought Status: Critical Stage III
Barton Springs: ~20 cfs (10-day average)
Lovelady Water Level: 191.4 ft

Click here to read a recent article in the NY Times titled: "Sacrifices and Restrictions as Central Texas Town Copes With Drought"

Press Release: District Declares Stage III Critical Drought

2011-09-09T07:16:00.003-05:00

For Immediate Release: Thursday, September 8, 2011

For more information, contact: Robin Gary, Public Information and Education Coordinator, (512) 282-8441 or rhgary@bseacd.org

Stage III Critical Groundwater Drought Declared

(Austin) The Board of Directors of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declared Stage III Critical Drought at its Board meeting this evening, effective immediately. With hot temperatures, no rain, and no replenishing creek flow, water levels in the area aquifers continue to decline. Both of the District’s drought triggers have now crossed their respective Stage III Critical Drought thresholds. The Lovelady Monitor Well depth-to-water fell below 190.7 feet and, based on manual measurements, the Barton Springs 10-day average discharge is less than 20 cubic feet per second.

Under Stage III restrictions, permittees are required to reduce monthly pumping by at least 30% for historical permits and over 75% for conditional permits. Water utilities supplied by groundwater in the District will be implementing additional restrictions on their end-user customers to reach the drought curtailments. These restrictions effectively protect groundwater supplies by slowing water level declines.

This year has become the driest one-year period on record. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center shows drier than normal conditions for the area extending through this winter.. In 2009 during the last Stage III Critical Drought, the District received many ‘dry well’ reports. Water conservation can help prolong water supplies and delay well issues.

“Groundwater is a shared resource. Regardless of where you get your water—whether you use your own well, a neighborhood water system, or a city system with multiple water sources—reducing water use is essential. We’ve got to be water wise as a community. We are all in this together,” commented Mary Stone, District Board President.

The 60,000+ existing groundwater users in the District are now required to cut back their monthly water use another 10% and heed more stringent restrictions. Their water suppliers (and/or the District) will inform end-users as to what obligations they must follow under Stage III Critical Drought. Generally, all outdoor irrigation of lawns and landscaping is now prohibited. Groundwater uses are restricted to water for essential indoor demands needed to preserve health and safety with a very minor allocation provided for some non-essential outdoor water uses such as maintaining small lawn areas for fire protection and foundation damage prevention. The District’s staff is committed to ensuring that such restrictions are as equitable as possible and will be taking steps during drought to promote that:

· New water withdrawal permits in the Edwards Aquifer will not be authorized during this drought;

· The restrictions included in the User Drought Contingency Plans that are part of every groundwater use permit will be aggressively enforced; and

· Rules that prohibit wasteful groundwater use will be enforced.

The District asks all of its constituents to continue their water conservation measures and be even better stewards of an increasingly scarce resource. Water conservation information and updated aquifer conditions are available on the District’s website at www.bseacd.org. With continued lack of significant rainfall and high rates of pumping, water levels could drop to the extent that some wells could go dry and flow from Barton Springs could eventually decrease to the point where ecological, recreational, and aesthetic uses of Barton Springs would be damaged. The aquifer can no longer afford anything other than minimal use, and that may be the situation for many more months.

La Nina conditions return

2011-09-08T15:02:00.001-05:00

The Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Nina Advisory and state that La Nina conditions have returned and are expected to gradually strengthen and continue into the Northern Hemisphere winter 2011-2012.

La Nina conditions generally result in drier-than-normal weather patterns. However, tropical systems could still provide some much-needed rainfall this Fall.

June-August period in Texas was hottest on record in U.S.

2011-09-08T13:24:00.000-05:00

Click here for an article from the Star-Telegram.

Stage III Critical Drought imminent

2011-09-02T10:21:00.002-05:00

Barton Springs discharge and the depth to water in the Lovelady monitor well are likely to cross their respective thresholds in the next week. It is possible the Board would make a Stage III Critical Drought declaration at its next meeting on Thursday 9/8/11. Stage III drought will require that permitees reduce monthly pumping by about 30% of their normal monthly pumping.

August 25 Aquifer Update

2011-08-25T11:04:00.002-05:00

Drought Stage: Alarm Stage II

Lovelady: 189.8 ft depth to water
Barton Springs: 22.9 cfs 10-day average

We anticipate entering into Critical Stage III Drought in mid September.

2nd Worse Drought on Record!

2011-08-18T15:45:00.003-05:00

Read an AP article on the official declaration as Texas' 2nd worse drought on record. Click here.

Click here for an article from the NY Times.

Very good photos of the Drought from around the southwestern US and a few of our very own Lake Travis. Click here.

Critical Stage III Drought predicted for September

2011-08-11T14:47:00.003-05:00

Current water levels and springflows are on track to cross their Critical Stage III drought thresholds in September unless we receive substantial rainfall.

Click on image below to enlarge.

August Aquifer Update

2011-08-11T14:12:00.003-05:00

Aquifer Status: Alarm Stage II
Lovelady (depth to water): 188.8 ft
Barton Springs: 24 cfs (24.8 cfs 10-day avg)**

**note this may be slightly over-estimated by 1-2 cfs. Manual measurements and correlations to Barton Springs from the Lovelady suggest today's daily average is likely about 22 cfs.

Historic data and projections of the decline in both Lovelady and Barton Springs suggest we will enter into Critical Stage III in early to mid September.

Recent Drought Articles

2011-08-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

Articles on the drought abound. Here are a few links to article:

Austin American Statesman article about Central Texas Rivers

A link to articles from the Austin American Statesman prior to Aug 3

Texas Tribune/NY Times

Click here for a very good recent summary of the Drought from TAMU:

"Among the other rainfall records set this month: least year-to-date precipitation (6.53 inches; historical average 16.03 inches; previous record 9.36 inches in 1917); driest consecutive 8, 9 and 10 months on record (7.25 inches 8.35 inches, and 9.17 inches respectively); and driest 12 months ending in July (15.16 inches, previous record 16.46 inches in 1925).

“These statistics rank the current drought as the most severe one-year drought ever for Texas,” Nielsen-Gammon explains. “Never before has so little rain been recorded prior to and during the primary growing season for crops, plants and warm-season grasses.”

....

“The outlook is not entirely grim,” he reports. “Late August and September bring increased chances of widespread rain from tropical disturbances, as well as the occasional cold front. Some computer models predict a return to La Niña conditions this winter, which would imply continued dry weather, but most predict neutral conditions in the tropical Pacific and the possible return of normal weather patterns.”

July Aquifer Update

2011-07-28T10:35:00.002-05:00

Drought Stage: Alarm Stage II
Lovelady: 187.7 ft depth to water
Barton Springs: 26 cfs 10-day average

Without significant rainfall we anticipate entering into Critical Stage III Drought in September. A tropical system is really our best hope for rainfall in the upcoming weeks.

A new resource for drought information was just launched at the Texas Alliance for Groundwater Districts. Click here to visit the site.

Community Impact News Drought article

2011-07-15T16:56:00.001-05:00

Click here to read an article from the Community Impact News on Drought and Conservation.

July 2011 Aquifer Update

2011-07-13T15:49:00.002-05:00

Alarm Stage II Drought
Barton Springs: 27 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady Monitor Well: 186.5 ft depth to water

Using the recession from the 2008-9 drought, we estimate that we may enter into Critical Stage III Drought by mid-September, unless we receive significant rainfall.

New York Times drought article

2011-07-12T06:53:00.001-05:00

click here for a link to the NY times article.

LCRA slideshow of drought impacts on highland lakes

2011-07-06T11:23:00.001-05:00

Click here for a link to the slideshow.

Llano River drying up: water supplies dwindle

2011-06-29T11:16:00.001-05:00

Click here for a Texas Tribune story on the Llano River and the town of Llano.

Drought: Feds Declare most of Texas a Disaster Area

2011-06-29T11:12:00.001-05:00

From KUT news (click here):

"Calling it 'one of the worst droughts in more than a century', the U.S. Department of Agriculture has named 213 of Texas’ 254 counties as primary natural disaster areas. The measure allows farmers and ranchers to apply for federal disaster aid. The remaining 41 counties also qualify for assistance because they are contiguous.

The drought could cost ranchers and farmers more than $4 billion this year, according to the Associated Press.

The Lower Colorado River Authority’s drought page says almost two-thirds of the state – and virtually all of Central Texas – is in exceptional drought, the most intense category used by the US Drought Monitor."

Texas Water Development Board Drought Maps

2011-06-29T11:07:00.002-05:00

Click here for a variety of drought data and maps provided by the TWDB. An example of the Standardized Precipitation Index is shown.

Alarm Drought Continues

2011-06-22T14:22:00.002-05:00

Drought Stage: Alarm Stage II Drought
Lovelady: 184.3 ft depth to water
Barton Springs: 28 cfs 10-day average

Despite the much-needed rainfall totals in the area of up to 2 inches, drought conditions persist and the rainfall only provided a very temporary relief from the hot and dry conditions. We could possibly enter into Critical Stage by August unless we receive significant rainfall, however July is normally one of our driest months, so the chance of seeing Critical levels of aquifer drought conditions is becoming more likely.

Drought in the News

2011-06-20T09:10:00.005-05:00

"Drought settles into lower Colorado River basin"
Click here for an article from the LCRA.

"Farmers look to skies as drought drags on: 64% of state entering summer in exceptional drought"
Click here for an article from the Austin-American Statesman.

"Amid Texas Drought, High-Stakes Battle Over Water"
Click here for an article from the Texas Tribune/NY Times.

"How long will local drought continue?"

Click here for an article from San Marcos Local News.

Trinity water levels at historic low in Kendall County

2011-06-17T06:56:00.002-05:00

The Hill Country and its primary aquifer, the Trinity aquifer, are experiencing record low water levels due to the ongoing drought. Levels are already worse than experienced in 2009. Click here for an article on this topic.

Llano River could run dry...

2011-06-17T06:49:00.002-05:00

The drought is impacting surface and groundwater resources. The Austin American Statesman has an article on some of those recent impacts. Click here for the article.

Adios La Nina, hello normal hot and dry summer

2011-06-14T05:29:00.004-05:00

The climate prediction center states that:

"ENSO-neutral conditions have developed and are expected to continue at least through the Northern Hemisphere summer 2011." (issued June 9, 2011, click here for more information)

La nina conditions generally mean a hotter and drier climatic pattern for Central Texas. Although, the return to ENSO-neutral conditions are welcome, they will not likely impact the ongoing drought in the short-term as it simply means a return to normal hot and dry summer conditions.

Drought Continues

2011-06-08T17:39:00.003-05:00

Alarm Stage II Drought
Barton Springs Discharge: 31 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady depth to water: 182.7 ft

A few drought-realted articles: "Drought strengthens in lower Colorado River basin" click here
"Drought grows more dire in Texas and Oklahoma" click here

The USGS ranks stream gauges as having Extreme to Moderate drought for Central Texas.

Alarm Stage II Drought continues; conditions worsen

2011-05-26T19:35:00.002-05:00

Alarm Stage II Drought
Lovelady water depth: 180.8 ft
Barton Springs discharge: 31 cfs*

*As of this posting the daily value is reported to be 36 cfs; however our manual measurements and historical data suggest this is too high. Estimates were made by the District to provide more accurate numbers. We have made the USGS aware of this issue and we anticipate the USGS making a manual measurement and revising the data on their website soon.

Alarm Stage Drought Continues

2011-05-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

Drought Status: Alarm Stage II
Barton Springs Flow: 34.4 cfs (10-day average)
Lovelady Water Level: 178.9 ft

Despite the much-needed rainfall today of up to 2 inches, the aquifer remains in Alarm Stage drought. The rainfall will do a lot to help vegetation, and perhaps reduce some pumping for irrigation, but much more rainfall is needed to bring us out of drought. Today's rain will bump up springflow temporarily, but the flows will quickly return to the low levels seen before today's rainfall.

You may have noticed that the springflow values reported by the District on our Drought Chart is about 2-3 cfs lower than what is reported as provisional data from the USGS (the USGS data is also shown on our website graphic). That is because numerous manual measurements tell us that the gage at Barton Springs is likely reporting higher than actual values by about 2-3 cfs.

Alarm Stage II Drought Declared

2011-04-29T10:36:00.004-05:00

At its April 28 Board meeting, the Board of Directors of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declared Stage II Alarm Drought for the District, effective immediately. The drought declaration affects authorized water use by some 60,000 groundwater users primarily in northern Hays, southern Travis, and western Caldwell counties.

The Lovelady Drought Indicator Well, in the Edwards Aquifer and located in South Austin, dipped below its Alarm threshold of 175.0 feet depth-to-water on April 24. The 10-day average discharge at Barton Springs, the District’s other official drought indicator, also dipped below its Alarm threshold of a 10-day average of 38 cubic feet per second, based on BSEACD manual measurements, on about April 22. For the Board to officially declare drought, only one drought indicator has to cross below its trigger threshold. In this instance, water levels in the Lovelady Monitor Well and springflow at Barton Springs prompted the drought declaration.

With more than seven months of rainfall and runoff deficit, this drought declaration comes near the beginning of the heavy outdoor water-use season and also at a time when abnormally hot and dry conditions are forecast to continue. Without reductions in demand, deeper drought stages, with even greater required curtailments of pumping and water use, will be reached sooner. Since groundwater is a shared resource, water conservation has to be a coordinated effort.

Stage II Alarm Drought Declaration pending Board Meeting Tonight

2011-04-28T11:28:00.003-05:00

Barton Springs Flow: 36.9 cfs 10-day average (38 cfs is Alarm threshold)
Lovelady: 176.5 ft depth to water (175.0 ft is the Alarm threshold)

With one of the driest 6-7 month periods on record, both drought triggers are below their respective Alarm Stage II thresholds. The District Board will meet tonight (Thursday 4/28) and will review the drought information and likely make the drought declaration official.

Alarm Stage II drought requires a 20% reduction from normal monthly use for those that hold permits to pump water from the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Restricting outdoor irrigation is one common measure to achieve that reduction goal. Domestic well owners are also asked to conserve water by reducing outdoor irrigation among other conservation practices.

Article on low flow in Colorado River

2011-04-21T16:47:00.002-05:00

Click here to read the following article titled: "Flow into Colorado lower than drought-of-record period, LCRA says" by Asher Price of the Austin American Statesman

April Aquifer Update

2011-04-13T15:30:00.003-05:00

Drought Status: Non Drought Conditions
Barton Springs Flow: 40 cfs (41.9 cfs 10-day average)
Lovelady Well: 173.2 ft depth to water

Alarm Stage II drought conditions are approaching and we are predicted to cross the trigger for either Barton Springs or the Lovelady Well by late April or possibly early May.

Currently almost 100% of Texas is experiencing drought, with the majority experiencing Extreme Drought conditions.

April 1 Aquifer Update: It's no joke!

2011-04-01T10:45:00.004-05:00

Lovelady: 170.667
Barton Springs: 41 cfs (daily value)

Aquifer levels continue to decline and head toward Alarm Drought conditions. Without rainfall we expect to enter into Alarm Stage Drought by mid to late April. The next Board meeting is April 14 and without significant rain, conditions could allow the Board to declare an Alarm Stage drought.

Aquifer heading toward Alarm Drought Conditions

2011-03-23T14:38:00.002-05:00

The 10-day average of Barton Springs is projected to pass its Alarm Stage Drought threshold in early April without any substantial rainfall. In addition, the water level in the Lovelady well (the second drought indicator for the District) will also pass its Alarm Stage Drought threshold in mid-late April. Only one of the drought triggers needs to cross their respective threshold for the Board to make a drought declaration. The next Board meeting is scheduled for April 14 when the Board could vote to make a drought declaration. Drought contingency plans for those who have a permit to pump water in the District require a 20% reduction from normal monthly use.

USGS streamflow indicates Moderate Drought

2011-03-21T09:31:00.002-05:00

The USGS "Water Watch" feature that focuses on drought conditions indicates Central Texas is under a moderate drought. Click here to see more.

Aquifer Update and the Japan Earthquake connection

2011-03-18T15:53:00.006-05:00

Drought Status: non-drought (but fast-approach Alarm Stage)
Barton Springs: 41 cfs (38 cfs 10-day average for Alarm Stage threshold)
Lovelady: 167.95 ft depth to water (175 ft is threshold for Alarm Stage)

The tragic earthquake in Japan on 3/11/11 was recorded in some water levels changes in the Edwards Aquifer. The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) measured a water level change of about 1 foot related to the Japan Quake in their J17 drought index well. See chart below. A good summary as a audio clip is provided by the USGS here.

This information came from the EAA in the San Antonio segment of the Edwards Aquifer (courtesy of the EAA and Geary Schindel). People naturally asked if we saw something similar in the Barton Springs segment. The short answer is no, our instruments don't allow us to measure those short-term effects. See chart below. The instruments the EAA have in their well is an old-fashioned (oldie but goodie) analog chart recorder that records data continuously, and behaves similar to a seismograph.

My guess is that the instruments we use here (pressure transducers) lack the precision and have longer sampling frequency (we record hourly data) that don't allow us to measure these short-duration effects--although they almost certainly do occur here too. I've looked into this before at other wells for a few other quakes (Mexico, Chile etc) when the EAA recorded similar effects. We didn't see it in any of our wells for the same reason described above (I believe).

In addition, I looked at Barton Springs (gage and flow) and we also can't see any discernible effects. They record data every 15 minutes, but their instrumentation also samples at a certain frequency and the hydrologic setting (semiconfined? interference from pool fluctuations) may influence whether you can measure those effects at that location.

If we had a chart recorder, and perhaps if Barton Springs had instruments in the spring that measured water velocity, we might actually see a measureable change.

Click here for a Keye-TV interview about the quake. (no there is not a risk of large earthquakes in Central Texas).

Alarm Drought conditions approaching

2011-03-14T07:46:00.002-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought
Barton Springs: 50 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady: 166.3 ft depth to water

Drought indicators below their long-term average levels and declining rapidly. Without significant rainfall in March and April we estimate that the aquifer may enter into Alarm Stage Drought conditions by early April.

Drought Update: Surface Water

2011-03-10T14:24:00.000-06:00

Click here to read an article from the LCRA titled:"Drought returns to the lower Colorado River basin"

February 24 Aquifer Update

2011-02-24T13:15:00.000-06:00

Non-Drought Status
Barton Springs Flow: 53 cfs (54.4 cfs 10-day average; Average is about 53 cfs)
Lovelady: 162.6 ft depth to water (Average is about 153 ft)

Drought conditions approaching

2011-02-10T15:16:00.003-06:00

Without additional rainfall the District's drought triggers (Lovelady Well and Barton Springs) are on track to pass their respective Alarm Stage Drought thresholds by late April or early May.

February 2011 Aquifer Update

2011-02-07T16:14:00.000-06:00

Non-Drought Status
Barton Springs Flow: 57 cfs (59 cfs 10-day average; Average is about 53 cfs)
Lovelady: 158.9 ft depth to water (Average is about 153 ft)

The Climate Prediction Center has issued a "La Nina Advisory" which indicates drier-than-normal conditions for Central Texas through at least this spring. Without significant rains in the Spring of 2011 we may be headed back into drought conditions by the summer.

January 2011 Aquifer Update

2011-01-10T10:23:00.001-06:00

Non-Drought Status
Barton Springs Flow: 63 cfs (61.7 cfs 10-day average; Average is about 53 cfs)
Lovelady: 152.4 ft depth to water (Average is about 153 ft)

October through December turned out to be extremely dry and unfortunately the Climate Prediction Center has issued a "La Nina Advisory" which indicates drier-than-normal conditions for Central Texas through at least this spring. Without significant rains in the Spring of 2011 we may be headed back into drought conditions by the summer.

December Aquifer Update

2010-12-01T12:30:00.002-06:00

Non-Drought Status
Barton Springs Flow: 74 cfs (75.1 cfs 10-day average)
Lovelady: 143.17 ft depth to water

October and November turned out to be extremely dry and unfortunately the Climate Prediction Center has issued a "La Nina Advisory" which indicates drier-than-normal conditions for Central Texas through February 2011. Without significant rains in the Spring of 2011 we may be headed back into drought conditions by the summer.

November Aquifer Update

2010-11-03T12:00:00.003-05:00

Non-Drought Status
Barton Springs Flow: 81 cfs (82.5 cfs 10-day average)
Lovelady: 139.3 ft depth to water

October turned out to be extremely dry and unfortunately the Climate Prediction Center has issued a "La Nina Advisory" which indicates drier-than-normal conditions for Central Texas through January 2011. Those tropical storms previously discussed likely have kept us from entering drought conditions at the end of 2010.

Tropical Influences on the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer: Summer 2010

2010-10-14T14:01:00.006-05:00

Although climate predictions indicated an unusually hot and dry summer for 2010, tropical storms turned out to be the dominant influence on the weather of Central Texas accounting for nearly half of the annual rainfall to date (Figure 1). Just as springflow and groundwater levels had reached their peak in late spring and were beginning their natural seasonal decline, Tropical Storm Alex struck in June and brought above-average rainfall for the month. Alex originated in the Caribbean and was the first tropical cyclone to form in the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane season; it made landfall just south of Texas and proceeded into inland Mexico and then into Texas. The storm brought up to 6 inches of rain in Central Texas. Alex was followed by a tropical depression in July that produced a couple of inches of rainfall. August turned out to be one of the hottest and driest months on record, but then in September Tropical Storm Hermine produced up to 10 inches of rain, which is turning out to be one of the wettest on record for the region. These three, well-spaced tropical systems helped provide significant rainfall and creekflow, resulting in rises in groundwater levels and springflow for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer (Figure 2).

Tropical Storm Hermine

The most significant rainfall totals were associated with Tropical Storm Hermine. This storm originated off the coast of Mexico and quickly strengthened before making landfall in Mexico just south of Texas on September 7, 2010. Hermine remained a well-organized storm system and brought a lot of rain and flooding to Texas as the eye of the storm finally dissipated in Central Texas. As a result, Central Texas received a remarkable amount of rainfall, (Figure 3) with 15.6 inches reported from Georgetown and 11.5 inches reported for Austin. Locally the District recorded about 10 inches (Figure 1).

Significant rainfall from Hermine generated runoff and caused flooding in both the contributing and recharge zones of the Edwards Aquifer (Figures 4 and 5). Peak streamflow in the creeks was orders of magnitude greater than rises caused by Hurricane Alex, and the duration of flow also much greater for Hermine than Alex. Enough runoff was generated to sustain flow in the larger watersheds (Blanco and Onion) for several weeks; the Blanco River continues to flow across the entire recharge zone. However, most creeks that contribute recharge to the Barton Springs aquifer are now only flowing at the upstream portion of the recharge zone and are declining rapidly. However, despite having significantly more water flowing in the creeks, water levels in the aquifer did not rise above their early summer levels (Figure 2) and are currently leveling off or declining. Barton Springs flow reached its highest sustained discharge following Hermine, but it is currently only about 10 cfs higher than early summer flows (Figure 2).

The recharge that occurred will sustain water levels for the next few months, and has effectively reset and delayed the starting point of the natural decline of groundwater levels and springflow that had initially started in August.

The nature of this karst aquifer is to respond to climatic events and stresses quickly, and indeed the response to a hot August followed by a wet September illustrates that fact. This article was written one month after the rains of Hermine passed, and the longer-term impacts of Hermine will be more apparent in future months.

Outlook

Although the short-term (6-month) outlook for the region is very good due to the higher-than-average springflow and water levels, we need to be mindful that conditions will change. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has issued a “La Niña Advisory.” The CPC states that La Niña conditions are expected to last through winter 2010-2011. The El Niño-La Niña cycles result from changes in the global moisture patterns related to ocean temperatures fluctuations in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. La Niña conditions usually produce drier-than-normal conditions for Central Texas.

Figure 1. Monthly rainfall chart from the District office in Manchaca, South Austin. Note the dual peaks in rainfall in 2010 associated with Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storm Hermine. The rainfall in July came from a tropical depression that kept the total for the month near the historical average; without that tropical depression, July would have been drier than normal, similar to August.

Figure 2. Hydrograph of water levels, streamflow, and Barton Springs for the Summer of 2010. Streamflow and springflow data from USGS (Blanco River at Wimberley, Onion Creek at Driftwood, and Slaughter Creek at FM 1826). Water-level data from the BSEACD (Porter well is located near Buda, and the Lovelady well is the District’s drought trigger well located in South Austin).

Figure 3. Map of Central Texas showing rainfall totals from Tropical Storm Hermine. The redder colors indicate rainfall >5 inches with most in the Barton Springs contributing and recharge zones totaling 6 to 8 inches. District office received about 10 inches of rainfall. Base map source: LCRA Hydromet, map generated September 8, 2010 9:00 am. Location of the recharge zone for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer is approximate.

Figure 4. Many low-water crossings were flooded by the rainfall from Hermine. This photo is of a low-water crossing of Slaughter Creek just west of Brodie Lane. You can see the high-water mark on the road near the top of the photo. Photo taken September 8, 10:00 am.

Figure 5. Flooding in Barton Creek brought floodwaters into Barton Springs Pool. This photo was taken September 8, 2010 at about 12:00 pm.

October Aquifer Update

2010-10-13T14:16:00.001-05:00

Barton Springs Flow: 110 cfs
Lovelady Monitor Well: 138.97 ft (depth to water)

September Aquifer Update

2010-09-28T14:48:00.003-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought
Barton Springs flow: 113 cfs
Lovelady Well: 139.9 ft

The effects of Tropical Storm Hermine were very positive on the aquifer with rainfall greater than 10 inches. This occurred after a very hot and dry August. What a relief! We're compiling some of the information from the storm, so stay tuned...

August Aquifer Update

2010-08-12T16:14:00.001-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought conditions
Lovelady: 136.5 ft (depth to water)
Barton Springs Flow: 94.6 cfs (10-day average)

July Aquifer Update

2010-07-06T15:27:00.003-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought
Barton Springs Flow: 96 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady (depth to water): 136.2 ft

Recent rainfall totals of up to 6 inches in the past two weeks have recharged the aquifer and increased water levels and springflow, for the time being. However, the water level rise was only temporary as water levels in wells are beginning to decline once again, part of the normal summer cycle.

Pictured below is a sinkhole in the recharge zone. The gentleman is pointing to the high-water mark on the tree. The sinkhole filled to this high-level and then drained fairly rapidly, within a day.

June Aquifer Update

2010-06-24T09:07:00.002-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought

Lovelady: 136.5 ft depth to water

Barton Springs: 85 cfs

Lovelady is currently at 136.5 ft as of today and has reached its "plateau." The rains a couple week ago have probably helped it maintain this level, which is the same depth as the last blog entry on 6/9. Nearly all other Edwards monitor wells are showing a declining trend for the past few weeks. I would expect the Lovelady well to start declining (relatively) rapidly over the next month. Conversely, the Trinity levels in our area are still rising, but at a slower pace. Water levels in those wells will soon plateau and start their decent.

Barton Springs is currently at 85 cfs, down from 90 at the blog entry. It will start a rapid decline in the coming months without more rains.

Climate Forecast

2010-06-09T19:54:00.004-05:00

The Climate Prediction Center is indicating that: "Conditions are favorable for a transition to La Niña conditions during June – August 2010."

Unfortunately, La Niña conditions generally mean hotter and drier weather than normal for central Texas. While water levels are sufficient to sustain us through the summer, a dry Fall could put us into drought conditions by summer 2011. Let's hope it is a short-lived La Niña.

Click here to find out more.

June Aquifer Update

2010-06-09T09:31:00.002-05:00

Aquifer Status: Non-drought
Barton Springs flow: ~89 cfs (88 10-day average)
Lovelady Well: 136.5 ft depth to water

April and May rainfall were a bit below average and so both Barton Springs and the Lovelady well reached a peak and are now starting to level off their rise and even start to decline. This is their normal hydrologic response as we enter into hotter and drier conditions. Storage in the aquifer is high enough that we will likely avoid drought declarations this summer.

End of May Aquifer Update

2010-05-27T15:48:00.004-05:00

Barton Springs had reached it's peak and is starting to decline in flow. Current flow is about 88 cfs (90 cfs 10-day average). The Lovelady well is still rising but the ascent is slowing and is currently at 136.8 ft depth to water.

May Aquifer Update

2010-05-03T11:19:00.001-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought conditions
Barton Springs Flow: 92 cfs (92 cfs 10-day average)
Lovelady: 138.8 ft depth to water

Hot and Dry Summer Predicted

2010-04-29T08:10:00.003-05:00

While that is no surprise to anyone (and even I could predict that), meteorologists are predicting a shift away from the wetter (El Nino) conditions to a slightly drier-than-normal summer.

"The rains are expected to subside as the El Niño effect so dominant in the Pacific Ocean gives way to a La Niña effect, which typically leads to drier weather in Texas."

Click here for a story by Asher Price of the Austin-American Statesman.

2010-04-22T14:33:00.001-05:00

Aquifer Update
Drought Status: Non-drought
Lovelady Well: 140.6 ft depth to water (well above the average of 153 ft)
Barton Springs: 93 cfs (also well above the average of ~53 cfs)

Aquifer Update

2010-04-08T08:32:00.002-05:00

Drought Status: Non-drought
Lovelady Well: 144.07 ft depth to water (well above the average of 153 ft)
Barton Springs: 92 cfs (also well above the average of ~53 cfs)

Aquifer Update

2010-03-24T15:30:00.003-05:00

Non-drought Conditions
Barton Springs Flow: 89 cfs (10-day average)
Lovelady depth to water: 148.1 ft

Currently, the aquifer is experiencing high springflow and water levels due to the above-average rainfall and recharge we’ve received since September 2009.

The end of the drought was brought about by some substantial rainfall in the fall of 2009 and then persistent above-average rainfall for the past 6 months (Figure 2). The above-average rainfall is related to the onset of El Niño conditions. El Niño conditions generally produce above-average rainfall for Texas, while La Niña conditions usually produce drier-than-normal conditions for Texas. The El Niño-La Niña cycles result from changes in the global moisture patterns related to ocean temperatures fluctuations in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Niño began to develop in the summer of 2009. Substantial storms of up to 10 inches began to fall in September 2009 and helped saturate the extremely dry ground, and prime the area for the subsequent above-average rains resulting in runoff and ultimately recharge to the aquifer.

The short-term forecast is very good. The Climate Prediction Center indicates that El Niño conditions are expected to continue through the spring 2010. However, current models indicate a possible weakening and possibly entry into neutral or La Niña conditions late in the summer 2010.

Lovelady water level rises above long-term average

2010-03-11T16:08:00.001-06:00

BSEACD Drought Status: Non-drought
Barton Springs Flow: 88 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady Index Well: 151.6 ft (this is about 1.5 feet above the long-term average depth to water of 153 ft)

All of Texas out of Drought Conditions, first time since 2007

2010-02-25T09:23:00.003-06:00

BSEACD Drought Status: Non-drought
Barton Springs Flow: 88 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady Index Well: 156.6 ft

The US Drought Monitor indicates that all of Texas is out of drought conditions.

Rains continue to improve conditions

2010-02-11T09:33:00.003-06:00

No Drought Status
Barton Springs: 83.5 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady Well: 162.2 ft depth to water

We've had above-average rainfall of about 5.8 inches so far this year. Onion Creek is flowing and recharge is occurring at the District's recharge enhancement project at Antioch Cave.

Recharge is also occurring at many other features--this feature, called a swallet, pictured below was recently discovered and is located in a small drainage.

Conditions continue to improve

2010-01-28T10:46:00.001-06:00

Barton Springs Flow: 77 cfs
Lovelady Monitor Well: 166.9 ft depth to water (and rising)

New Winter Newsletter

2010-01-13T12:02:00.004-06:00

Click here to view the winter newsletter. Among other items there is a short article on the Aquifer Status (p. 1 & 3) and a quick recap of the drought.

Aquifer Status Update

2010-01-08T16:21:00.002-06:00

The Aquifer is within "Non-Drought" status.

Lovelady Well: 170.9 ft depth to water (and still rising)
Barton Springs:70 cfs flow (70.5 cfs 10-day average)

Lovelady water levels reach "non drought" threshold

2009-12-21T15:14:00.002-06:00

The depth to water in the Lovelady Well is 174.95 ft as of 2pm today, above its Alarm Drought threshold of175.0 ft. Both drought indicators, Barton Sprinsg and now Lovelady, are above their respective drought thresholds.

District declares "No Drought" status

2009-12-18T07:58:00.002-06:00

At the Board meeting on December 17 the Board unanimously declared an end to the drought of 2008-2009 by authorizing a No Drought condition, effective immediately.

Barton Springs has been above its drought triggers for several months and the Lovelady well has been slowly rising and will reach its No Drought threshold in a matter of days.

On the verge of non-drought conditions.

2009-12-14T10:37:00.002-06:00

The Lovelady depth to water today is about 176.71 ft. The level is rising about 0.3 ft/day. Given that rate of rise, the water level should cross it's drought threashold of 175.0 feet by December 19th or so. Barton Springs discharge is reported to be 61 cfs, but a USGS field measurement a few days ago was 73 cfs.

A word of caution, although we are most likely to be out of drought conditions soon, we haven't had a rainfall event to sustain creekflow. We might be back into drought next summer without more significant rains. For example, Onion creek currently is not flowing across the entire recharge zone. However, conditions are good for that to occur if we get some significant rainfall this winter.

Drought Update

2009-12-03T10:36:00.003-06:00

Drought Status: Alarm
Barton Springs: 60 cfs 10-day average
Lovelady: 180.0 ft (depth to water)

Based on the rate of rising water levels at the Lovelady well, it should cross into non-drought status by mid to late December.

Drought Update--aquifer approaching Non-Drought Conditions

2009-12-01T15:52:00.003-06:00

Current Status: Alarm Stage (perhaps not for long!)
Barton Springs: 60 cfs
Lovelady: 180.3 ft (depth to water) and rising

Barton Springs is above its Alarm Stage threshold of 38 cfs, and the Lovelady well is on track to rise above its Alarm threshold of 175 ft (depth to water) by about 19th of December. Both drought triggers need to be above their respective thresholds for the Board to declare Non-Drought conditions.

Drought Update

2009-11-25T15:33:00.002-06:00

Drought Status: Alarm
Barton Springs: near 50 cfs (the information is currently not available as of 11/25)
Lovelady well: 182.5 ft (depth to water)

Drought Status Update--Alarm Stage Drought

2009-11-18T09:15:00.005-06:00

Drought Stage: Alarm (yes, we're still in it)
Barton Springs: ~53 cfs 10-day average (and declining)
Lovelady Well: 184.5 ft depth to water and rising

Above-average rainfall for September and October have generated some modest recharge and helped improve drought conditions. We down-graded our drought status from Critical to Alarm on October 22, 2009. Barton Springs is flowing at near average conditions and the Lovelady well has been slowly rising about 0.3 ft/day. At that rate, the Lovelady water level might be above its Alarm threshold (175.0 ft) by mid to late December.

However, a word of caution that we are still not completely out of drought conditions as our Lovelady well indicates. We still need more above-average rainfall to completely lift us out of drought. Onion Creek is still not flowing substantially and we need to have more rainfall to generate more recharge that will help us to avoid dipping back into drought conditions by next summer.

Recharge into Antioch Cave, Onion Creek, Texas

2009-10-28T15:22:00.006-05:00

The rains on Oct 26 produced a minor flow event within Onion Creek. About 2-3 inches of rain fell in the Onion Creek watershed (contributing zone) upstream of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Flow within the Onion Creek at Driftwood reached a peak discharge of about 514 cfs at 7:30 pm. Peak flow reached the Antioch Cave Recharge facility about 7 hours later (it is about 13 miles downstream).

Antioch Cave is the largest-capacity recharge feature in the District. The District has recently completed a renovation of the recharge facility. The vault that overlies the entrance to Antioch Cave has two valves that can open, allowing recharge to the aquifer. The idea is that the valves are closed during the first part of a flood event, and then will open automatically as the water becomes cleaner. Click here to see the TCEQ's data for the site.

Here's the vault and recharge facility at Antioch Cave on the afternoon of Oct 26.

Here's the same vault a day later! Note the whirlpool above the vault.

Press Release: Aquifer District Eases Drought Restrictions

2009-10-23T19:16:00.002-05:00

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has been in a very restrictive Critical Stage drought for about 10 months. Water use was curtailed by 30%, and outdoor uses such as lawn watering were prohibited. The groundwater users in the District finally received a little bit of good news today when it was announced that the recent rains had increased recharge and sufficiently improved aquifer conditions such that Critical Stage Drought was no longer indicated. At its meeting Thursday night, the Board of Directors changed the declaration to the next less restrictive stage, Alarm Stage drought, to be in effect immediately. Under Alarm Stage drought, users are still mandated to reduce their monthly water use by at least 20% from their authorized amounts, but it does allow some small amount of outdoor water use.

“The local groundwater drought is not over,” noted Kirk Holland, the District’s General Manager, “but we finally received enough rain in the right places to start having some effective replenishment of the aquifer. However, all our groundwater users need to continue to conserve water and use it wisely in order for the higher water levels in the aquifer to be sustained.” Holland expressed some hope that the El Nino climatological conditions would continue to bring the local rains that support creek flows so that in the near future the drought might eventually be completely broken and the restrictions lifted. “We aren’t there yet. But that would be a welcome relief for our groundwater users who have borne the brunt of water use restrictions for two summers and whose demand-reduction efforts have been successful in preserving the water supply for themselves and others,” he said.

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District provides scientific, educational, and regulatory programs involved in managing the groundwater resources that serve more than 50,000 people, schools, businesses, industries, and organizations in southern Travis, northern Hays, and western Caldwell and Bastrop Counties.

Alarm Stage Drought Declared

2009-10-23T08:58:00.004-05:00

Last night (10.22.9) the Board of Directors voted to down-grade the drought status from Critical to Alarm Stage based on the status of the District's two drought indicators, Barton Springs and the Lovelady Well.

Barton Springs is averaging near 50 cfs, well above its drought thresholds. In a matter of days the water level in the Lovelady will cross its Alarm Stage threshold of 192.1 ft depth to water. Given the current data and trends, and rather than wait weeks until the next Board Meeting, the Board voted to change the status to Alarm.

However, despite these rains, we are not completely out of the drought--Alarm still requires 20% conservation. A recent article by the Austin American Statesman has a similar conclusion, click here to read more.

From Critical to Alarm?

2009-10-22T22:00:00.001-05:00

Drought Stage: Critical (but likely to improve soon)
Barton Springs flow: ~50 cfs and slowly declining
Lovelady Well: 193.3 ft depth to water, and rising

We are on track to leave Critical and enter into Alarm Stage drought at the end of October if the current trend in the Lovelady well continues. The Alarm threshold for the Lovelady well is 192.1 ft depth to water.

However, we are not out of the woods yet, and if we don't get more rain in the upcoming months, we'll be headed back toward Critical Stage. This is evident in the fact that Barton Springs never quite reached average conditions (~60 cfs) despite all the recent rains, and has started to decline slowly.

Drought Status Update

2009-10-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Drought Stage: Critical (yes, we're still in it, but perhaps not for long...)
Barton Springs: ~52 cfs (leveling off)
Lovelady Well: 194.7 ft and rising

The current rain is helping to generate some modest recharge. Barton Springs is currently about 52 cfs and appears to be leveling off.

The Lovelady well has been slowly rising about 0.1 ft/day from late September through October 9. Since October 9 the rate rise has increased to about 0.3 ft/day. At that rate it might be above its Critical threshold (192.1 ft) by Late October--perhaps sooner if we get more rain.

Stay tuned as we hopefully get more rain, and conditions improve.

Levels slowly rising, but still in Critical Stage

2009-10-07T09:23:00.003-05:00

Drought Stage: Critical
Barton Springs: 38 cfs (38.8 cfs 10-day average) and falling
Lovelady: 196.0 ft depth to water and slowly rising

The recent rains have put a major dent in the annual deficit. But to date they have not busted the drought. As stated below, we need more rain to get out of our groundwater drought.

Barton Springs has responded very quickly to the rainfall, rising up to nearly 50 cfs. However, the rise is only temporary and has already started to decline. Conversely, the Lovelady Well is slowly rising in response to the modest amount of recharge. Although the behavior of each drought trigger appears to give conflicting information, the response is expected. Barton Springs will respond to minor recharge events, while the Lovelady Well will not. In this case, the Lovelady well is a better representation of the effective recharge to the system. It shows a modest increase in storage, but is not yet above its drought thresholds.

El Nino likely to ease drought...but not end it

2009-10-01T14:52:00.005-05:00

The Austin American Stateman (by Nathan Adkisson) report that climate specialists indicate that the mild El Nino conditions are expected to ease the drought of Central Texas. However, there is also a word of caution in the article that not all El Nino events generate higher-than-average rainfall. Thus, there are no guarantees that this El Nino will generate more rain. In fact, El Nino events only generate 30% more rainfall on average. That would still not erase the deficit we've accumulated over the past 2 years and the article states that we still may emerge from winter with a deficit of rainfall.

Click here for a link to the article

For the (hydrologic) drought to end for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer rainfall has the added requirement of falling (in abundance) in the right location--that is within the contributing watersheds (e.g. Hill Country).