Drought Update: January 2025
On average, January is the area’s coldest month of the year, which rang true for 2025. Camp Mabry recorded an average temperature of 46.9°F throughout the month—5.3° below normal. Last month tied for the 23rd coldest January on record for the Austin area. This is a stark change from the region experiencing its warmest meteorological […]
Antioch Cave: Protecting Aquifer Recharge in the District
Beneath the rolling landscape of the Texas Hill Country lies thousands of caves, which play an important role in recharging local groundwater resources. The Edwards and Trinity aquifers, portions of which the District manages, are karst aquifers. These form from the gradual dissolution of soluble rock, like limestone. This process of dissolving away the rock […]
Drought Update: December 2024
After a blazing hot summer, it made sense that 2023 ended up being the hottest year on record for the area. It may come as a surprise, though, that 2024 broke that record and is now the warmest year to date at Camp Mabry. 2024’s average temperature was 72.8° F – half degree hotter than 2023. Last […]
Protecting Your Well and Pipes from Freezing Temperatures
Though temperatures this fall and winter have been significantly above average, Texans know a cold spike is always lurking around the corner. When cold temperatures hit, it’s important to act and protect pipes and wells from freezing. A busted pipe can waste tens of thousands of gallons in a single home and, collectively, millions of […]
Drought Update: November 2024
Austin experienced its warmest meteorological fall on record, which includes September, October, and November. 75.8°F was the recorded average temperature including the highs and lows for each day. This fall was also abnormally dry, only receiving 2.6 inches of rain compared to the average of 10.3 inches. Most of the rainfall took place in November […]
Little Bear Recharge Enhancement Project: How it Impacts the District
Background Earlier this year, Austin City Council approved an innovative project to help recharge the Edwards Aquifer in the District’s territory and bolster Barton Springs flow. The Little Bear Recharge Enhancement Project will focus on diverting water from Little Bear Creek, located in southern Austin, in times of high flow and pushing it to a nearby […]
Preliminary Data Report on Two Monitoring Wells Installed in the Barton Springs Segment of the Edwards Aquifer, Austin, Texas
Monitoring wells are an essential tool for tracking groundwater levels and water quality over time, as well as conducting studies to better understand how an aquifer functions. Dedicated monitoring wells are non-pumping wells that are intended for monitoring ambient aquifer conditions over time. These wells provide valuable data, with their hydrographs providing temporal records of […]
Drought Update: October 2024
October 2024 was one for the record books, but not for any records we want to break. In Austin, October 13 reached 101°F, which is the hottest October day on record. Last month also brought 23 days reaching 90°F or above. This is well above the previous record of 15 days set in 2007. October’s […]
Drought Update: September 2024
The District declared Stage III Critical Drought today, October 3. This is a result of the Lovelady monitor well’s 10-day groundwater level reaching 462.6 feet mean sea level (ft-msl), which is below the District’s Stage III threshold. September is typically our fourth wettest month with an average of just over 3 inches of rainfall. Last […]
District Declares Stage III Drought
The Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (the District) officially declared Stage III Critical Drought on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Stage III declaration restrictions will take effect November 1. This transition is a result of the Lovelady monitor well, one of two drought stage determinants for the District, reaching a 10-day average of 462.6 feet above […]
