Periods of drought naturally bring up questions and concerns for many people—especially well owners and permit holders in the District’s territory.
To help provide clarity, we’ve put together answers to some common questions about drought conditions and the possibility of a Stage 4 Emergency Response Declaration. Our goal is to explain what this could mean, why certain actions may be considered, and how the District works to protect shared water resources while supporting the community.
General Questions
The only way to end this drought is through significant, widespread rainfall in the recharge zone. One or more of these weather events may be required to recharge the aquifers and raise groundwater levels and springflow above drought conditions.
Flow at Barton Springs and groundwater levels at the Lovelady monitoring well are the two key drought indicators used to determine the District’s drought status. Each site has predefined threshold levels corresponding to the various drought stages. A drought stage is triggered when either monitoring site falls below its respective threshold. However, exiting a drought stage requires that both Barton Springs and the Lovelady well rise above their respective trigger levels.
Please visit our drought status page for current conditions.
The District has been in continuous stages of drought since July 2022, so we are currently experiencing a multi-year drought.
We depend on outside sources, such as the US Climate Prediction Center, for evaluating future climate conditions. However, none of these sources can predict how long the drought might last beyond the next few months. Speculating beyond that is very complex.
Stage 4 Emergency Response Period Questions
Stage 4 ERP is a set drought stage for the District based on our two key drought indicators: flow at Barton Springs and groundwater levels at Lovelady monitor well. When discharge at Barton Springs descends to or below 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) or water levels at Lovelady fall to or below 453.4 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl), the District can declare Stage 4 ERP. You can learn more about our key drought indicators and drought chart here.
Stage 4 ERP is the most severe stage of drought for the District. It’s important to note that drought statuses differentiate between groundwater conservation districts, cities, counties, and more.
The District has never declared a Stage 4 ERP. However, according to Lovelady records, groundwater levels have reached similar lows in the past on two occasions in 1949 and 1989-1990. During these times, a Stage 4 ERP declaration did not occur because the District either had not yet been established (the District was created in 1987) or the current drought thresholds and response framework were not yet in place.
Outdoor watering rules are set by your water provider, not by the District. The Barton Springs–Edwards Aquifer Conservation District does not sell or deliver water directly to customers and does not establish lawn watering schedules.
If Stage 4 ERP is declared, many water providers may implement stricter outdoor watering restrictions or prohibit certain types of landscape irrigation altogether. Residents should check directly with their city, water utility, or water supply corporation to understand what outdoor watering is allowed.
The District encourages everyone to limit outdoor watering as much as possible to help protect groundwater levels during extreme drought conditions.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, contact your water provider or visit their website.
The District establishes curtailments for permittees—including municipalities and water utility providers—not for the customers of those permittees. End users served by water providers are required to comply with their provider’s drought rules, regardless of where the provider sources its water.
As a result, utilities may declare drought conditions at different times than the District.
District Well Owners and Permittee Questions
Water levels in karst aquifers, such as the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, naturally fluctuate due to drought, seasonal conditions, and groundwater pumping.
When a well stops producing water, it is often not completely dry. In many cases, the water level has dropped below the pump intake, which is typically set 50 feet or more above the bottom of the well. Wells completed in shallow aquifer units are more sensitive to drought and reduced rainfall than deeper wells. This makes them more susceptible to declining water levels. A well log can help identify your well depth and the aquifer it taps.
Before assuming your well has gone dry, it’s important to rule out maintenance, construction, or pump issues. Wells and pumps require periodic servicing, and many wells stop producing due to mechanical problems rather than a permanent loss of water.
Homeowners should first contact a licensed well driller or pump installer to evaluate the well. If you don’t already work with a water well company, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) maintains a list of licensed professionals.
Steps you can take include:
Conserve water and reduce pumping to allow the well to recover, especially in low-yield or drought-prone aquifers. Installing a water meter can help you track usage.
Protect your pump. Low water levels can cause overheating and rapid cycling, which may damage the motor. Turn off the pump if it cycles frequently and consider installing a pump saver or low-water shutoff switch.
Add a storage tank if your well has low or variable yield. Storage tanks can meet peak demand, stabilize supply, extend pump life, reduce odors, and allow sediment to settle.
Watch for warning signs, such as reduced pressure, sediment, air bubbles, or cloudy water that clears after a short time. If the pump sounds like it’s sucking air, turn it off and allow the well to rest.
If it still appears that your well has gone dry, please fill out this form.
Exempt well owners are not subject to mandatory drought restrictions; however, all well owners are strongly encouraged to conserve water—especially during periods of prolonged drought.
The District also has a special category of domestic well owners who hold Limited Production Permits (LPPs). While LPP holders are not subject to mandatory drought restrictions, they have agreed to follow the recommended drought stage measures outlined in the User Conservation Plan submitted during the District’s application process. These measures become increasingly important as drought conditions worsen.
LPP holders who need a copy of their User Conservation Plan or who would like to review the applicable drought and conservation measures can email Erin Swanson, Regulatory Compliance Manager, at eswanson@bseacd.org.
Although exempt users, such as private well owners, are not required to submit a User Conservation Plan, the District strongly recommends adopting the same conservation measures outlined in an LPP User Conservation Plan to help protect groundwater resources during this critical time.
The District has issued both Historical and Conditional permits in both the Edwards and Trinity aquifers. Declaration of drought requires all non-domestic use District permittees to implement mandatory measures specified in their User Drought Contingency Plans (UDCPs) to meet monthly pumpage requirements. Curtailments for Stage 3 Exceptional Drought are listed below and depend on permit type. For some of these permits, curtailment rates will increase if the District descends into the next stage of drought.
- 30% for Trinity and Alluvial/Austin Chalk Historical permittees
- 40% for Edwards Historical
- 50% for Edwards Conditional Class A permittees
- 100% for Edwards Conditional Class B permittees
- 100% for Edwards Conditional Class C and Class D permittees
You can find curtailments for all drought stages here. If a permittee needs copies of their UDCP and/or Drought Target Chart, please contact Regulatory Compliance staff at (512) 282-8441 or eswanson@bseacd.org.
Getting more water will depend on your well. First, we recommend you have your well and pump checked. Once they have evaluated your well, they can provide an assessment of what the options are for getting you more water out of your well.
Options may include:
- Lowering the pump. Usually the well is not dry, but the water level has declined below the pump and the pump needs to be lowered. In most cases getting more water could be as simple as having your well company set the pump lower in the well column so it is low enough to remain in water during times of drought. A driller or pump installer can help determine if the well is deeper than where the pump is set and if lowering the pump will address the issue.
- Deepening your existing well or drilling a new, deeper well. If it is determined your pump cannot be lowered and you are interested in deepening your well or drilling a new well, you should contact your well driller. It is important to note that deepening of your well may not be practical depending on the condition of your well.
- Install a storage tank. Keep this filled by hauling water in during times of drought.
- Harvest rainwater. This serves as an alternative supply when drought occurs.