Drought Information & Resources - Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District

Useful Drought Links

District Remains in Stage III Critical Drought

On October 20, 2022, Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declared Stage III Critical Drought. The District’s Lovelady monitor well crossed the Stage III threshold on October 17, 2022. Only one of the District’s two drought monitor sites (Lovelady monitor well and Barton Springs) needs drop down into a new drought threshold for a declaration to be made. However, to exit a drought stage both Barton Springs and Lovelady must rise above their respective drought trigger values.

Barton Springs Discharge
(cubic feet per second)
Previous: 16.8 cfs on 8/28/23

Drought Status

Lovelady Monitor Well
Water Elevation (msl)
Previous: 460 msl on 8/28/23

Last Updated: 9/11/23

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: 9/11/23

Previous: 16.8 cfs on 8/28/23

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: 9/11/23

Previous: 460 msl on 8/28/23

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 Barton Springs gage is currently reporting discharge below the Stage IV threshold, but the District is still in Stage III. This is the result of various activities by City of Austin staff at the pool to protect the endangered Barton Springs and Austin blind salamanders amongst the drought. These efforts combined with the gage’s increased sensitivity during times of low flow have resulted in drops and spikes in recorded spring discharge. While drought conditions persist, BSEACD staff will conduct manual measurements more frequently to verify Barton Springs flow values reported by the gage.

The chart above displays the current stage of drought based on values from Barton Springs and Lovelady monitor well, the District’s two drought monitor sites. You can view Barton Springs flow data and Lovelady monitor well water level values below for additional information.

While drought conditions improved in the first half of 2023, Central Texas hasn’t experienced the drought busting rainfall essential for recharging the aquifers. Reducing water use and conserving resources is now critical. The District has already received reports of dry wells. With continued lack of rainfall and high rates of pumping, water levels could drop to the extent that additional wells go dry. Flow from Barton Springs could eventually decrease to the point where ecological, recreational, and aesthetic uses of Barton Springs would be damaged.

Pumpage Reductions

Declaration of Stage III Drought 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
30% for Trinity and Alluvial/Austin Chalk Historical permittees

End-user customers 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. Permittees should refer to the monthly drought allocations listed in their User Drought Conservation Plan (UDCP) and Drought Target Charts.

The following are currently prohibited by District permittees.

Automatic irrigation systems
Hose end sprinklers
No car washing
No filling or re-filling of pools
No non-essential use (water fountains, etc.)
Watering can or hand-held hose with auto-shutoff valve: Allowed on designated days before 10:00am and/or after 7:00pm

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 during office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to review our groundwater management process, receive information about the drought, or get assistance with other groundwater related matters.

District Drought Status Chart

The District’s drought trigger methodology below includes curtailments for each stage of drought. Our drought management web page has additional information.