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:
- Drought Information: https://bseacd.org/regulatory/droughtinformation/
- Frequently Asked Drought Questions: https://bseacd.org/regulatory/droughtinformation/#faq
- Drought Media Tool-Kit: https://bseacd.org/drought-edu/
- Drought Status page: http://bseacd.org/aquifer-science/drought-status/
- Drought Management page: http://bseacd.org/regulatory/drought-management/
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 |
Water Conservation Period
(In May-Sept it’s Stage I
if in No Drought)
Alarm Drought
Critical Drought
Exceptional Drought
Lovelady Monitor Well Water Elevation | |
Drought Status | (msl) |
msl
Water Conservation Period
(In May-Sept it’s Stage I
if in No Drought)
Alarm Drought
Critical Drought
Exceptional Drought
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.

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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
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