A Message from the General Manager: September 2023
By Tim Loftus, General Manager of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District For the second year in a row, low flow in the Mississippi River is causing problems. Thanks to a lack of rainfall in the upper watershed, a saltwater wedge is moving upriver from the Gulf of Mexico and shutting down small water treatment […]
Next Board Meeting: September 14, 2023
Drought Update: August 2023
Record Heat for the Texas Hill Country August has been a continuation of this summer’s incredibly hot and dry conditions. According to KXAN, August 17, 2023 reached 110 degrees and tied for the third hottest day recorded in Austin history and the second-hottest day ever observed in the month of August. The area also experienced 45 consecutive […]
Next Board Meeting: September 10, 2023 – Two Public Hearings
Drought Update: July 2023
Photo of low water levels in Jacob’s Well in July 2023 Dry, Hot Weather Exacerbates Drought Conditions Extreme heat across Central Texas has been a mainstay of news headlines over the past couple of months. Following an abnormally hot June, according to the Austin American-Statesman, we’re on pace for the hottest July on record, surpassing the […]
District Foresees Unprecedented Transition to Stage IV Exceptional Drought
Barton Springs’ 10-day average flow fell to 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) on July 24, 2023. This is based on field measurements collected by the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (the District). For reference, the average flow for the springs since 1978 is 68 cfs. This decline in discharge is representative of the alarmingly […]
Drought Update: June 2023
2023 Rainfall So Far We’re halfway through the year, and while April and May rains provided much-needed recharge to the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, we remain in Stage III Critical Drought. This was initially declared on October 20, 2022, when the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) Lovelady monitor well passed below the Stage III […]
Winter Weather Preparations
An arctic cold front will move through South Central Texas during the day on Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures between 10 and 22 degrees and wind chills between -8 and 11 degrees can be expected Thursday night into Friday morning. Please take the necessary precautions to protect your outdoor pipes, faucets, and […]
Exploring Antioch Cave
It’s been a while since we explored Antioch Cave. But with little water currently flowing through Onion Creek, this was the perfect time to do it. Antioch Cave is situated on Onion Creek about 1.3 miles west of Buda, and is considered to be the most significant recharge feature within the District. Onion Creek is […]
Monitor Well Installation Video
A second groundwater monitor well was recently installed near Jacob’s Well to better understand flow in the Trinity Aquifer and how drought and pumping can affect flow from Jacob’s Well. Principal Hydrogeologist Brian Smith explains how the data collected from the well will be used in the video link below. Monitor Well Installation Video
