For first time ever, ‘exceptional drought’ declared by Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District

KXAN
by: Will DuPree
Posted: Dec 15, 2023 / 10:52 AM CST
Updated: Dec 15, 2023 / 06:22 PM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The leaders managing the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District took the unprecedented step Thursday night of moving to a Stage 4 Exceptional Drought declaration, meaning tougher water-saving measures are coming for well operators.

The district’s board of directors voted for the first time in the organization’s history to take this step, even though they predicted it may eventually come to this. According to a news release from the district Friday, crossing into Stage 4 drought status means significant pumping restrictions and permanent reclassification for certain District permittees starting Jan. 1, 2024. 

“We’ve been hovering around this threshold for a couple of months, so we were afraid it would come if we didn’t get rainfall and the rains just don’t seem to materialize,” Tim Loftus, the conservation district’s general manager, said Friday.

The district’s leaders took this action as a result of levels dropping at the Lovelady monitor well, which is one of their two drought trigger determinants.

“This decline is representative of the alarmingly low water levels of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, which serves as a drinking water source for over 60,000 people from south Austin to northern Kyle and is overseen and managed by the District,” the news release read.

The district noted the only way for groundwater resources to recover and reverse the drought conditions is a sustained period of widespread, significant rainfall. Until this happens, people who live in and outside of the district are asked to conserve water to help the aquifer levels replenish. Groundwater use should be limited to essential indoor demands, with little to no water used for outdoor purposes.

Buda moving to Stage 3

The City of Buda will soon swap out drought alert signs placed throughout the neighborhoods and ask people to cut back even more on their watering because the drought restrictions will now go up another level to Stage 3. This decision is trigged by the conservation district’s action because the city gets about 25% of its drinking water supply from the aquifer.

Blake Neffendorf, the city’s public works director, explained that will mean reducing outdoor irrigation to only one day a week and limiting the hours to do that from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

“They’re currently watering one day per week before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m., so the new drought restrictions will basically cut in half the amount of time that they’re allowed to irrigate,” he explained.

This announcement is concerning to neighbors like Josie Castellanos, who moved to Buda in 2015. This summer, when drought restrictions picked up locally, she uprooted her backyard garden and moved her prized plants to pots in front of her house so that she could more responsibly water them.

“It’s just scary,” Castellanos said, “because what are we going to do? We need the rain. We need the water.”

What about Kyle?

A spokesperson for the City of Kyle shared the following statement after KXAN sought comment about the aquifer’s Stage 4 conditions:

On December 14, 2023, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) declared Stage IV Exceptional Drought. BSEACD is one of three current water supplies for the City of Kyle. By moving to Stage 4, the City’s supply from them is significantly reduced. This reduction will go into effect January 1, 2024. The BSEACD supply will be reduced from 10.1 million gallons to 6.2 million gallons for the month of January. BSEACD is approximately 15% of the City of Kyle’s annual water supply capacity. BSEACD Stage 4 declaration will cause an 11% reduction to our annual combined water supply. To date, BSEACD has never been in Stage 4. 

The City of Kyle has been preparing and planning for the City’s water suppliers, especially BSEACD, to reduce their allocation and have taken intelligent and strategic steps toward mitigating the impact of the reduction. First, the City entered into Amended Stage 3 Drought Restrictions on September 1, 2023. Those restrictions included every other week outdoor watering schedule and prohibitions on new landscaping installations and the sale of construction water. Through these restrictions, the City has been able to realize over a 30% decrease in water consumption city-wide. Second, the City of Kyle entered into an Interlocal Agreement for water sharing purposes on September 19, 2023, with the City of San Marcos. This water sharing agreement makes it possible for Kyle to supplement the BSEACD water supply with EAA water supply by purchasing the water from San Marcos.

City staff is preparing to provide an update in January regarding the City’s overall water supply and demand and a comprehensive plan to address the City’s water needs for the short- and long-term.