HAYS COUNTY — The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) has declared a decrease from Stage 3 to Stage 2 Critical Period Management permit reductions for Edwards groundwater permit holders in the San Antonio Pool of the EAA’s jurisdiction within Atascosa, Bexar, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Medina counties.
The EAA officially confirmed that that the 10-day rolling average at the J-17 index well was 640.1 feet above mean sea level (ft msl), the Comal Springs ten-day rolling average for discharge was 194 cubic feet per second (cfs) and the ten-day rolling average for discharge for the San Marcos Springs was 97 cfs. as of Jan. 25, according to a news release.
EAA Critical Period Management Plan (CPM) Stage 2 for the San Antonio Pool reduces the annual authorized withdrawal amounts available to affected Edwards groundwater permit holders by 30%. These reductions apply to all Edwards Aquifer groundwater permit holders authorized to pump more than three acre-feet annually. This includes industrial and agricultural users, as well as water utilities authorized to pump water from the Edwards Aquifer for delivery to its respective customers. All affected permit holders must also report their pumping totals to the EAA on a monthly basis.
Residents and businesses within those counties who receive their water from a public water system should follow their respective water provider’s directives regarding water use practices.
The EAA does not enforce lawn watering activities or other general water limitations enacted. Any enforcement of such activities or limitations is enforced by a municipality. The EAA does not regulate the general public, but instead regulates Edwards well owners with withdrawal permits authorizing their right to pump from the aquifer.
The EAA is a groundwater conservation district that manages, enhances and protects the Edwards Aquifer, a major groundwater system serving approximately two-and-one-half million South Central Texans. The EAA jurisdiction spans across eight counties, including Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, and parts of Atascosa, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal and Hays counties.
