Barton Springs: 17.4 cfs (10-day average); daily value 16 cfs
Lovelady Well: 196.0 ft
(Picture shows a trickle flowing from Old Mill Spring, one of the spring that makes up the collective Barton Springs, photo taken June 25, 2009)
The current drought is producing some of the lowest springflow and aquifer levels that have been recorded.
The daily flow of 16 cfs at Barton Springs is the equivalent of the lowest discharge during the 2000 drought, and is approaching the lowest springflow reached during 1989-90 drought of 14 cfs. That makes this the second lowest springflow period since they began recording daily values 30 years ago in 1978!
Water levels at the Lovelady well are also reaching historic depths--currently only 9 measurements are deeper, and those almost all date from the 1950's drought of record, with one deep value from 1990. That makes the current water depth the second deepest since the drought of record in the 1950's!
Unfortunately, we are experiencing record heat and the forecast is bleak in terms of the rain outlook. Hopefully weather patterns will change, or a tropical system will bring rain.
