Texas drying up, despite historic rainfall

Great report on well monitoring and groundwater response to the lack of rainfall, KXAN!

Barton Springs Flow and Aquifer Levels Turning the Corner.

No drought

Lovelady well height: 517.82

Barton Springs: approximately 91.3 cfs 10-day average

Shorter days and recent temperatures seem to indicate that even cooler temperatures are just around the corner. That’s good news for those who’ve had enough of the Texas summer, but recent weather reports reveal decreasing chances for rain and summer-like weather returning as October continues. According to Bob Rose, LCRA Chief Meteorologist “So far we’ve seen just the opposite kind of weather we typically associate with El Ninos here in Texas.” During the month of September we received a little over 2 inches of rain. That’s 2 more than we saw in the months of July and August combined. Even still, that’s hardly enough to last long in Central Texas and it undoubtedly shows in Barton Springs flow and Edwards aquifer water level, measured at the Lovelady monitor well. We’ve turned the corner from rising aquifer levels and increasing Barton Springs flow thanks to a very wet May, to a downward trend in both. With no recharge and the uncertainty of El Nino-like weather arriving anytime soon this trend will continue. Remember that even as we are not currently in drought, wet conditions in Central Texas rarely last long as the next drought is close around the corner.