About
- About
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is committed to conserving, protecting, recharging, and preventing waste of groundwater and preserving all aquifers in the District. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District was created in 1987 with a directive to conserve, protect, and enhance the groundwater resources in its jurisdictional area.
Aquifer Science
- Aquifer Science
  
  BSEACD Aquifer Science team provides sound science to support policy and tactical decisions made by the District that affect water supply users and endangered species habitat. Collecting basic hydrogeologic data and planning and executing projects enhances the understanding of the water resources within the District’s boundaries.
Regulatory Program
- Regulatory Program
  
  The Regulatory Compliance Team is responsible for a wide range of the District’s responsibilities. Regulatory Compliance Team members have also actively attended and participated in community outreach and regional development and planning groups and served as District liaisons to local municipalities, political subdivisions, permittees, and licensed drillers and pump installers in the area.
Education
- Education
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer District actively participates and hosts events designed to engage and educate groundwater users and District residents. Events include stewardship awards, festivals, creek cleanups, presentations to schools and community groups, and teacher trainings.
Projects
- Projects
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has a number of special projects to help advance the scientific understanding and better manage groundwater resources within the District.
Publications
- Publications
  
  One of the most effective ways to conserve, protect, and manage our the groundwater resources is to keep you informed of the science, current conditions, and regulations affecting our District. Sign up on the Friends of the District email list and receive: Quarterly newsletters, Aquifer status updates, Drought declarations, Conservation information, and Important news.
Transparency
- Transparency
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District strives to meet a high standard by providing clear, consistent pictures of spending, and by sharing information in user-friendly formats, to promote financial transparency and accountability, not only through financial reports but also through summaries, visualizations, downloadable data, and other relevant information.

Aquifer Science

Drought Status

Barton Springs Discharge
(cubic feet per second)
Previous: 16.8 cfs on 8/28/23

Lovelady Monitor Well
Water Elevation (msl)
Previous: 460 msl on 8/28/23

Last Updated: 9/11/23

Stage I
Water Conservation Period

(In May-Sept it’s Stage I
if in No Drought)

Stage II
Alarm Drought

Stage III
Critical Drought

Stage IV
Exceptional Drought

Emergency Response

Barton Springs Discharge
(cubic feet per second)	Drought Status

Last Updated: 9/11/23

Previous: 16.8 cfs on 8/28/23

Stage I
Water Conservation Period

(In May-Sept it’s Stage I
if in No Drought)

Stage II
Alarm Drought

Stage III
Critical Drought

Stage IV
Exceptional Drought

Emergency Response

Lovelady Monitor Well Water Elevation
Drought Status	(msl)

Last Updated: 9/11/23

Previous: 460 msl on 8/28/23

Stage I
Water Conservation Period

(In May-Sept it’s Stage I
if in No Drought)

Stage II
Alarm Drought

Stage III
Critical Drought

Stage IV
Exceptional Drought

Emergency Response

The Barton Springs gage is currently reporting discharge below the Stage IV threshold, but the District is still in Stage III. This is the result of various activities by City of Austin staff at the pool to protect the endangered Barton Springs and Austin blind salamanders amongst the drought. These efforts combined with the gage’s increased sensitivity during times of low flow have resulted in drops and spikes in recorded spring discharge. While drought conditions persist, BSEACD staff will conduct manual measurements more frequently to verify Barton Springs flow values reported by the gage.

This chart displays the current drought stage based on values from Barton Springs and Lovelady monitor well, the District’s two drought determinants. You can also find this information on the Current Drought Chart along with rainfall, discharge, and water level information. The two graphs below show the last 60 days of record at Barton Springs and Lovelady monitor well in real-time. If you’re interested in receiving District monthly drought updates, you can sign up for the email list here.

Graph of

Graph of