Barton Springs: ~40 cfs (41.7 10-day average)
Lovelady: 481.4 ft-msl (172.0 ft depth to water)
Barton Springs discharge that is reported on the USGS website has been corrected to reflect manual verification measurements. The website was reporting values about 4 cfs too low. District staff also measured springflow and verified the higher values. As such, we've avoided entry into drought for at least a couple of weeks--and hopefully we'll get some rainfall in the meantime.
Unfortunately, the El Nino conditions are very weak, if present at all, so future rainfall projections due to ENSO are not a source of optimism at this time.
Although the District is currently no under drought restrictions or declarations, here's what is happening around us:
Edwards Aquifer Authority:
o
Under Stage 2 restrictions (30% curtailment) based on 10-day average values for J-17
(current reading: 648msl; Stage II threshold 650msl, Stage III
threshold 640msl).
o
EAA Critical
Stage Info (Triggers, Stages and Reductions)
City of Austin:
o
Stage
II restrictions are in effect (outdoor watering limited to 1 specified day
per week, before 10am or after 7pm)
o
Stage II watering restrictions were implemented
on Sept. 4, 2012.
o
Follows LCRA drought triggers (see next
section).
Lower Colorado River Authority:
o
Water storage is at less than 900,000 acre feet
and lakes are currently (10/22/2012) at 44% full (879,288 acre feet). Check real time Lake Volumes.
o
When lakes reach 900,000 million acre feet, firm
water customers required to reduce water use by 10-20%, and they start a curtailment
of interruptible supply and environmental flows for critical needs continues.
o
2010 Water Management Plan Drought
Triggers
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority:
o
Currently in Stage 1 Mild Water Shortage
Conditions.
o
Comal Springs at 211 cfs and Canyon Reservoir at
901.52 msl (10/22/2012).
o
Stage 1 Mild Water Shortage Conditions triggered
when the water level drops below 895 feet in Canyon Reservoir (or less than
274,800 ac/ft of storage) and/or Comal Springs is at or below 250 cfs but
greater than 200 cfs. See 2011
Drought Contingency Plan for more info.
Hays-Trinity Groundwater Conservation District:
o
The Board of Directors declared Alarm Stage
Drought (20% reduction) on 9/1/2012.
o
Discharge readings for the Pedernales (27 cfs)
have been below Alarm thresholds (31.6 cfs) for 3 days. (10/22/2012).
o
Alarm Stage Drought triggers for are
30-day averages of 31.6 cfs for the Pedernales and/or 28.5 for the Blanco.
