Drought Update: May 2023
We’re over halfway through calendar spring and, while April and May rains have provided much-needed recharge to the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, we remain in Critical Drought status (Stage III). It was officially declared on October 20, 2022 when one of the District’s drought triggers, Lovelady monitor well, passed below its Critical Drought (Stage III) […]
Early April Rain and More in the Forecast!
Last week (4/6 – 4/7) an average of 2.2 inches fell across the District to put the month of April above its historical average (2.1 inches). This is the first above-average month since November 2022 and the first of 2023 – and there is more rain in the forecast! Area creeks including Onion and Slaughter saw […]
Drought Update: February 2023
We currently remain in Critical Drought status (Stage III). It was officially declared on October 20, 2022. One of the District’s drought triggers, Lovelady Monitor Well, passed below its Critical Drought (Stage III) trigger on October 17, 2022. February rainfall delivered an average of 1.3 inches across the District, about 0.7 inches shy of its […]
Data Compilation and Database Structure for the Geodatabase Accompanying the Hydrogeologic Atlas of Southwest Travis County, Central Texas
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD), in cooperation with Travis County, compiled existing and new hydrogeologic data to evaluate groundwater resources in southwestern Travis County (SWTC). Analysis and interpretation of these data provide the foundation for hydrogeologic evaluations presented in the Hydrogeologic Atlas of Southwest Travis County, Central Texas (Hunt et al., 2020), which […]
Evaluating the Potential Groundwater Availability within a Lower Trinity Aquifer Well Field, Balcones Fault Zone, Hays County, Central Texas
Groundwater availability from the Edwards and Middle Trinity Aquifers in the study area is generally limited, however, the Lower Trinity Aquifer within the study area is untested because of the aquifer depths, assumed low yields, and poor water quality. This study provides an initial assessment of groundwater availability in a Lower Trinity well field based […]
Hydrogeologic Atlas of Southwest Travis County, Central Texas
The full report or sections of the Atlas are available at the University of Texas at Austin Texas ScholarWorks. Click the title above or the “Read More” button below.
Springshed Delineation in a Karst Aquifer in Hays County, Central Texas
Hays County is experiencing some of the highest growth rates in the country, and groundwater is the primary option for water in the county. One spring in the study area, Jacob’s Well, experiences periodic cessation of flow due to a combination of drought and pumping from nearby water-supply wells. Jacob’s Well is important for ecological […]
Geochemical Evaluation of Hydrogeologic Interaction Between the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers Based on Multiport Well Assessment in Central Texas
The Edwards and Trinity Aquifers are major aquifers of Central Texas that provide water supply for over two million people and contain springs that are hydrologically and ecologically important to the region. The Edwards Aquifer overlies the Trinity Aquifer but is geologically juxtaposed along the Balcones Fault Zone. Thus, understanding the hydrologic connection is necessary […]
Summary of Groundwater Tracing in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer from 1996 to 2017
The Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer is an important resource for the region and understanding how the aquifer functions is critical to the conservation and preservation of the resource. Groundwater tracing is an important tool used to characterize the recharge areas, flow paths, groundwater velocities, dispersion, and fate of water in karst aquifers. […]
Blanco River Aquifer Assessment Tool A Tool to Assess How the Blanco River Interacts With Its Aquifers: Creating the Conceptual Model
The Blanco River watershed spans five counties through the Texas Hill Country and supplies water to some of the fastest growing population centers in Texas, if not the country (Figure ES – 1). Over this reach, the Blanco River is both fed by and feeds the Trinity and Edwards aquifers, blurring the line between groundwater […]