Regulatory Program

Drought Information/Resources

Aquifer District Declares Critical Drought (Stage III)

For Immediate Release: October 20, 2022
For more information, contact: District Staff (Communications & Outreach Manager) at (512) 282-8441 or bseacd@bseacd.org

 On October 20, 2022, Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District General Manager Tim Loftus, declared Critical Drought (Stage III). One of the District’s drought triggers, Lovelady Monitor Well, passed below its Critical Drought trigger on October 17, 2022. Only one of the District’s two drought stage triggers (Lovelady Monitor Well & Barton Springs) needs to be reached for a drought declaration to be made. However, to exit a drought stage, both Barton Springs and Lovelady must rise above their respective drought trigger values. This latter requirement keeps the District from making multiple declarations about drought over short periods of time.

The District hasn’t been in Critical Drought (Stage III) since October of 2013. While drought conditions have improved across the state, central Texas still isn’t seeing much rain. So far, we have received below average rainfall every month this year except for February and August. May, June, and July of 2022 were the warmest on record for Austin. Reducing water use is now critical. With continued lack of rainfall and high rates of pumping, water levels could drop to the extent that some wells go dry. The District has already received reports of dry wells. Flow from Barton Springs could eventually decrease to the point where ecological, recreational, and aesthetic uses of Barton Springs would be damaged.

Declaration of Critical Drought (Stage III) requires all District permittees to implement mandatory measures specified in their User Drought Contingency Plans (UDCPs) to meet monthly pumpage reduction requirements:   

  • 30% for Edwards Historical and Conditional Class A permittees,
  • 75% for Edwards Conditional Class B permittees, 
  • 100% for Edwards Conditional Class C and Class D permittees, and
  • 30% for Trinity and Alluvial/Austin Chalk Historical permittees

“We can’t afford to underestimate the threat that the current drought poses and the need for everyone to do their part to conserve water,” said General Manager Tim Loftus.

End-user customers (60,000+ existing groundwater users in the District) served by water utilities on groundwater wells are required to comply with their utility’s water use restrictions for this drought stage. Generally, outdoor irrigation of lawns and landscaping is now prohibited or severely restricted. Groundwater uses should be limited for essential indoor demands needed to preserve health and safety with a very minor allocation provided for non-essential outdoor water use.

November is the first month that permittees will need to meet new reductions in pumpage. Permittees should refer to the monthly drought allocations listed in their User Drought Conservation Plan (UDCP) and Drought Target Charts.

Planting native or drought-tolerant landscapes, mulching, and using compost can substantially reduce the amount of irrigation water required to keep plants healthy. Making sure your irrigation system is functioning at peak efficiency and replacing leaking gaskets and hoses can help conserve water. Installing a rain barrel or rainwater harvesting system can make an even bigger impact in reducing overall water use.

The District recommends that both exempt and permitted well owners follow these conservation tips. For additional information on groundwater wells, please take a look at the District’s Well Owner Guide. If you have questions about your well, please contact us at 512-282-8441. We encourage you to call or visit our office (1124 Regal Row, Austin, TX) during office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to review our groundwater management process, receive information about the drought, or if you need assistance with other groundwater related matters.

Useful links:

District Drought Status


Barton Springs Discharge
(cubic feet per second)
Previous: 25 cfs on 3/9/23		 Drought Status Lovelady Monitor Well
Water Elevation (msl)
Previous: 460.2 msl on 3/9/23
Last Updated: 3/30/23
25 cfs
10-day avg
459.9 msl
38 cfs
20 cfs
14 cfs
10 cfs
478.4 msl
462.7 msl
457.1 msl
453.4 msl
No Drought
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: 3/30/23
Previous: 25 cfs on 3/9/23
25 cfs
10-day avg
38 cfs
20 cfs
14 cfs
10 cfs
No Drought
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: 3/30/23
Previous: 460.2 msl on 3/9/23
459.9
msl
478.4 msl
462.7 msl
457.1 msl
453.4 msl
No Drought
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

Figure 1.

The chart above (Figure 1) is displaying the current stage of drought based on values from Barton Springs and Lovelady monitor well, the District’s two drought trigger sites. The values on this chart are periodically updated by District staff and reflect the values on the Current Drought Chart (link above). The two graphs at the bottom of the page show the last 60 days of record at the drought trigger sites in real-time. To visit the U.S. Geological Survey page where Barton Springs flow data is hosted click here. For water level values at Lovelady Monitor Well click here. Please note this data is provisional.

The District is currently in Stage II Alarm Drought. As drought conditions evolve, we will continue to update with page and the rest of our website with relevant information. Please click the graphic below for information on Stage II Alarm Drought.

The District’s drought trigger methodology below (Figure 2) includes curtailments for each stage of drought. You can visit our drought management page here.

DrCurtailCh
Figure 2.

Rainfall Hydrograph

Monthly Average Rainfall and Monthly Deviation From Average (Figure 3)

Edwards Aquifer Conditions (Barton Springs Segment)

Barton Springs Flow (Figure 4) and Lovelady Monitor Well (Figure 5) are the District’s two drought trigger sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trinity Aquifer Conditions

Below is the Borheim-Wentzel Trinity Monitor Well (Figure 6) and the Hays County Las Lomas Well (Figure 7). Both of these hydrographs are updated monthly.

Austin/San Antonio Drought Monitor

The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary. For more information on the Drought Monitor, go to https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/About.aspx.

Frequently Asked Questions

When the District's Board of Directors declares a drought stage, staff will immediately notify all non-exempt (non-domestic) use permittees of the declaration via email and US postal mail of the declaration. These communications will contain information about curtailments, usage, and conservation practices. If a permittee needs copies of their User Drought Contingency Plan and/or Drought Target Chart, please contact Regulatory Compliance staff at (512) 282-8441 or eswanson@bseacd.org. Notification of drought will also occur through email, the District website, and other means. The District staff will typically place drought signs in many, but not all, neighborhoods known to be on exempt wells. You can also sign up for District press releases and newsletters here. The District will send out a press release whenever a drought declaration is made, or if we are lifting drought restrictions. You will also find a banner at the top of the District’s website and you can visit the District’s drought status page here. Please also follow the District’s social media channels for the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube   
Exempt-well owners are not subject to mandatory drought restrictions but all well owners are encouraged to conserve and curtail during drought. The District has a special class of domestic-well owners that hold Limited Production Permits (LPP). LPPs are also not subject to mandatory drought restrictions, but will adopt the recommended drought stage measures outlined in the User Conservation Plan that they agreed to during the application process. If you are a LPP holder and need a copy of the user conservation plan or interested in reviewing the drought and conservation measures, one can be found here. While exempt users (e.g. private-well owners) don’t sign a User Conservation Plan, it is highly recommended that they adopt the same measures outlined in a LPP user conservation plan.
The type of permit held, not the aquifer the well is completed within, effects which restrictions you have on your well. The District has issued both Historical and Conditional permits. 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 II Alarm stage drought are listed below and depend on permit type. For some of these permits, curtailment rates will increase with increase stage of drought declared:
  • 20% for Edwards Historical and Conditional Class A permittees,
  • 50% for Edwards Conditional Class B permittees,
  • 100% for Edwards Conditional Class C and Class D permittees, and
  • 20% for Trinity and Alluvial/Austin Chalk Historical permittees
You can find curtailments for all drought stages here. If a permittee needs copies of their User Drought Contingency Plan and/or Drought Target Chart, please contact Regulatory Compliance staff at (512) 282-8441 or eswanson@bseacd.org.
The District does not have a watering schedule because we do not sell or provide water to end users. The District requires permittees to implement practices outlined in their User Drought Contingency Plan to ensure that they comply with their required curtailments. If a permittee needs copies of their User Drought Contingency Plan and/or Drought Target Chart, please contact Regulatory Compliance staff at (512) 282-8441 or ewanson@bseacd.org.
Ratepayers that are served by municipal or other types of water utilities are required to follow utility rules regardless of where the utility sources its water. Utilities often declare drought at different times than when the District does.
If a permittee is deemed non-compliant during drought for over pumping their allotment, the District may pursue enforcement and assess penalties pursuant the District’s Enforcement Plan.
The District monitors both the flow of Barton Springs and water level in our Lovelady monitoring well. Each monitoring site has pre-determined drought triggers for each stage of drought. Only one of the two drought stage triggers needs to be reached for a drought declaration to be made. To exit a drought stage, both Barton Springs and Lovelady must rise above their respective drought trigger levels. Please visit our drought status page for current conditions compared to drought trigger levels.
Water levels in karst aquifers (Edwards and Trinity Aquifers) fluctuate due to droughts, seasonal variations, and pumping. Usually, if a well stops producing water due to declining water levels, the well is not completely dry, but the water level has dropped below the pump, which is often set 50 or more feet above the bottom of the well borehole. Wells completed in shallower aquifer units are more directly influenced by lack of rainfall and drought than wells completed in deeper units. Because of this, shallower wells are generally more susceptible to impacts from declining water levels than deeper wells. A well log can provide more information about your well depth and in which aquifer the well is completed: https://bseacd.org/education/well-owners/#WellLogSearch.
You may contact District staff to inquire about changes in water levels in your area and in your aquifer. Depending on circumstances, District staff may be able to check water levels in your well. Or a well professional may be contacted. District staff can provide referrals to well professionals in your area.
It’s important to first determine if your well is being affected by an issue related to well maintenance, construction, or pump mechanics. Wells and their components require periodic maintenance and/or replacement. In many cases, the well has not permanently gone dry but is no longer producing due to construction deficiencies, lack of maintenance, or pump issues. A homeowner should first call a licensed well driller and pump installer to assess the well. If you do not have a water well company you work with already, you can find one on our list of the companies that have worked with the District here or The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) maintains a list of licensed well drillers and pump installers here.
  • Conserve water and reduce your pumping rate to let your well recover. Certain aquifers are less permeable and more drought prone, and wells drilled into those aquifers can be low yielding and may take longer to recover or refill. Installing a water meter can also help you assess how much water you are using.
  • Monitor and protect your pump. Low water levels can cause pumps to overheat and make your pump cycle on and off which can burn out the motor. If your pump is rapidly cycling on and off, turn it off. Installing an automatic low-flow shutoff switch, or a pump saver, can also protect your pump.
  • Add a water storage tank if you have low or fluctuating yield. Adding a storage tank will help meet peak demand and help you maintain a steady water supply. It can also help extend the life of your pump, help dissipate sulfur odors, and settle any sediment.
  • If your pump sounds like it is sucking air, let it rest. Indications that your well may be experiencing problems due to declining water levels and drought include a drop in water pressure, the well may begin to produce sediment and/or air bubbles, and you may notice “dirty” or milky looking tap water that clears after a short time.
Getting more water will depend on your well. First, we recommend contacting your water well driller or pump installer. If you do not have a water well company you work with already, you can find one on our list of the companies that have with the District here. Once they gather some information from you, 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 just 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.
  • Installing a storage tank and hauling water until the drought ends
  • Rainwater harvesting so that you have an alternative supply (i.e., full cistern (s)) when drought occurs.
If you want to report a water shortage or your well going dry, please contact District staff. Staff will document the issue and help navigate what the next steps should be. Please reach staff at (512) 282-8441 or bseacd@bseacd.org.
We have not seen any significant impacts to groundwater quality during periods of moderate drought. There is potential for minor changes in water quality during more severe drought, but since we have had very few severe droughts, and therefore very little data, we can’t rule out water-quality changes under more severe drought conditions.
We depend on outside sources, such as the U.S. Climate Prediction Center, for evaluating future climate conditions. However, none of these sources can predict how severe the drought might be beyond the next few months. Speculating about the “next few months” or the expected duration of drought is an inexact science.
BSEACD has over 40 wells that are recording hourly water levels in the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers across our District area. Staff is currently working to provide updated hydrographs for these monitor wells on our website. Visit our interactive map on our Monitoring Sites and Gauges of Interest page for more.
For information on conservation and protection, please visit our website at https://bseacd.org/education/water-conservation/.
For information on conservation, please visit our conservation website page: https://bseacd.org/education/water-conservation/conserve/.
Electro Purification LLC (EP) submitted a production permit application in July 2017. Their permit application was contested and it never reached the District’s Board of Directors for a decision. To date a production permit has not been issued and is not pumping from their wells. The District recently learned that EP has terminated their corporate existence.

Other Helpful Links:

BSEACD Drought Status
BSEACD Drought Blog
Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA)
Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Hydromat
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) Hydromat
Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Water Data Dashboard
United States Geological Survey (USGS) Drought Watch
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
Southwest Travis County Groundwater Conservation District
Wimberley Valley Watershed Association