No Drought
Lovelady well height: 495 ft-msl (158 ft-Depth to Water)
Barton Springs approximately: 46 cfs (10-day average)
FY 2019 began
with a status of Stage II Alarm Drought declared by the Board on July 12th,
2018. An average of 13 inches of rain in September to October provided much
needed recharge to the Edwards and Trinity aquifers. These
rains revived aquifer water levels and Barton Springs flow, elevating to above
Stage II Alarm drought warning levels. The Board subsequently updated the
drought status from Stage II Alarm Drought to NO Drought on October 11th,
2018. The calendar year ended with some of the wettest December weather ever
recorded. By New Year’s Eve, six inches of rain had fallen in Austin and the
Hill Country for the month of December, more than two times the average.
January 2019 provided about 3 additional inches, exceeding its historical
average of 1.9 inches.
A combined 14 inches of spring rain fell in May and June
2019 providing even more recharge. Barton Springs flow quickly responded to the
fall 2018 rains and additional spring 2019 rains to maintain an average daily
spring flow of 100cfs throughout FY 2019. On June 14th, 2019, water
level measurements in the Lovelady monitor well had risen to surpass the 3rd
highest peak recorded in 2003 (536.0 ft-msl or 117.4 ft-dtw).
Summer came with a drying trend.
Below-average rainfall initiated a rapid decline at the Lovelady well beginning
July 15th. This decrease has continued through a dry fall season and
is projected through the winter.
To summarize, the Austin/Hill Country area has received an
average 27 inches of rainfall in 2019, producing significant recharge for local
aquifers. However, official forecasts point toward drier and milder-than-normal
conditions across Central Texas, which will likely result in further declines
as 2020 gets underway. We hope spring will bring its usual upward swing of
recharge to keep our aquifers well-supplied.
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