The stretch of the Guadalupe River in Guadalupe River State Park in Spring Branch was nearly dry on July 20. The Edwards Aquifer Authority has moved to Stage 4 in its water use restrictions as drought continues to plague Texas.
William Luther/Staff
San Antonio Express-News
Liz Teitz, Staff Writer
The Edwards Aquifer Authority is again tightening water use restrictions as water levels and flows in the groundwater system continue to drop.
The agency said Monday that it has implemented Stage 4 restrictions. Under Stage 4, water use from the aquifer must be cut by 40 percent.
The change was triggered by lower water levels at the index well in Bexar County. Stage 4 restrictions are implemented when the well's 10-day rolling average level falls below 630 feet above mean sea level. The well was at 629.1 feet as of Monday morning, according to the authority's website.
The agency also reported lower water flow from Comal Springs. The springs have been flowing at an average of 88 cubic feet per second over the last 10 days, below the Stage 4 threshold of 100 cubic feet per second.
The restrictions apply to users in seven counties: Atascosa, Bexar, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Medina.
A person walks in the nearly dry Guadalupe River Thursday, July 20, 2023, as it flows under the FM 1376 bridge near Sisterdale. All the Unites States Geological Survey river gauges between Comfort and Canyon Lake were reporting zero water flow in the river Thursday, according to the USGS water data website, though some flow could be seen. The median flow of the river for July 20 at the nearby Comfort gauge is 74 CFS, according to the USGS water data website.
William Luther/Staff
The aquifer, a limestone cavern system that spans 3,600 square miles and provides water for more than 2 million people, had its highest water levels in nearly a year in early June, thanks to spring rainfall. But the aquifer moved from Stage 2 to Stage 3 restrictions on June 26, and the rolling average has fallen by another 10 feet since then.
Water utilities that have multiple water sources, including the San Antonio Water System, may be able to meet the aquifer's reduction requirements without increasing restrictions on their customers.
SAWS, which gets about half its supply from the aquifer, intends to stay at Stage 2 restrictions for its users at this time. The city-owned utility will be able to meet the required cutbacks from the aquifer without additional limits on customers, spokeswoman Anne Hayden said.
New Braunfels Utilities also remained at Stage 2 restrictions when the aquifer moved to Stage 3 last month and plans to remain there.
San Marcos is currently in Stage 3 restrictions and also expects to remain there for now, the city said.