Needmore Index Well

No Drought Lovelady well height: 510 ft-msl (144 ft-Depth to Water) Barton Springs approximately: 61 cfs (10-day average) The Amos Well has been established as an index well for the currently  proposed Needmore Permit. Compliance requirements will be based  on data collected at Amos. Just as the District's Lovelady well helps  determine drought response, water levels at Amos will dictate  pumpage reductions for Needmore. See the proposed  Needmore Permit Notice for more information about the effort to  protect surrounding groundwater users. District staff is working to make real-time water level  data publicly viewable.  While the best methods for  monitoring and displaying data are finalized, staff  will manually update the hydrograph every few  weeks to keep the community informed. This data  will build on records collected by the  Hays-Trinity GCD (HTGCD).

Trinity Aquifer Sustainable Yield Study

No Drought

Lovelady well height: 518 ft-msl (136 ft-Depth to Water)

Barton Springs approximately: 79 cfs (10-day average)

The sustainable yield of an aquifer is the amount of groundwater that can be pumped from the aquifer without causing unreasonable impacts to other water-supply wells and springs. The Trinity Aquifer is the primary groundwater supply for Hill Country residents in Hays and Travis Counties, and Trinity Aquifer springs help sustain iconic Hill Country streams. With limited water resources and exceptional population growth in Hays and Travis Counties, the effects of groundwater pumping are already being seen with reduced spring flow and long-term lowering of water levels in the Trinity Aquifer and underscore the importance of science-based policies.

On October 22, Hays County approved an interlocal agreement that will involve installation of two groundwater monitor wells near Jacob’s Well and sampling of groundwater in the vicinity of Jacob’s Well. On October 1, Travis County approved the continuation of groundwater study for southwest Travis County. Recent strong support from Hays and Travis Counties provides funding that will help fill critical data gaps for the Trinity Aquifer Sustainable Yield Study.

For over 10 years, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (District) has been collaborating with the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District and local and regional organizations to study the Trinity Aquifers of Hays and Travis Counties. Since annexation of an additional portion of Hays County into the District in 2015 (with passage of House Bill 3405), these efforts have increased substantially. These efforts include geologic investigations, aquifer recharge studies, water-level studies, water-quality analyses, aquifer (pumping) tests, development of a conceptual model, and groundwater modelling.

To effectively manage an aquifer system, scientists and managers must have a good understanding of how the aquifer functions. This is the foundation for science-based policies. Understanding of aquifer dynamics comes from a broad spectrum of studies and data. From these studies, scientists and groundwater managers can determine the sustainable yield of an aquifer.

Trinity Aquifer Sustainable Yield Study web page