Although the 2.5+ inches of rain that recently fell were very welcome, it wasn't enough to recharge the aquifer. In fact, very little runoff was generated from the rainfall, an easy indicator whether significant recharge is occurring. The photograph above was taken at a low-water crossing of Bear Creek in the recharge zone several hours after 2.0+ inches of rainfall occurred. Almost no runoff was generated due to the extremely dry soil conditions.
The rains had a temporary effect on Barton Springs as it jumped up in discharge from ~18 cfs up to ~30 cfs, but is quickly declining. The Lovelady Monitor well showed no response to the rainfall and was at 194.9 ft (and declining) today.
