Staff Report
AUSTIN — The Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) has declared Stage 3 Exceptional Drought — formerly known as Stage IV Exceptional Drought — effective Oct. 1, which is the second time in the district’s history it has been declared, the first being in December 2023.
The decision follows a rapid drop in groundwater levels at the Lovelady monitor well in South Austin, near 1st Street and Stassney Lane. As of Sept. 11, the 10-day average water level at Lovelady measured 457.0 feet mean sea level (ft-msl), which is the district’s threshold for Stage 3 Exceptional Drought, stated a BSEACD news release.
For comparison, the long-term average at Lovelady since monitoring began in 1949 is 490.9 ft-msl, more than 30 feet higher. The Lovelady well is one of the district’s two key drought indicators — the other being flow at Barton Springs. Similar drops in water levels are reflected in Edwards and Trinity Aquifer wells across the district.
According to BSEACD, this decline reflects extremely low water levels in both the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, which the district manages portions of from the Colorado River in Austin to southern San Marcos. Nearly 100,000 residents rely on these aquifer segments for drinking water, the release continued. The Edwards Aquifer also feeds Barton Springs, where flow remains significantly below average. The district has now been in continuous drought for 39 months — more than three years.
District drought stages are triggered when either the Lovelady monitor well or Barton Springs discharge falls below a set threshold. However, both indicators must recover above their respective thresholds before the district can exit a drought stage.
Exceptional Drought requires a 30–100% reduction in groundwater pumping among the district’s 120-plus permit holders, which include individual well owners, water utilities and municipalities, such as the cities of Buda and Kyle. Required reductions vary by permit type and failure to comply may result in monthly drought penalties.
The district does not directly regulate customers of utilities with groundwater wells. Residents should contact their local water provider for information about how restrictions will impact them in their service area.
The area historically receives an average of 22.2 inches of rainfall from March to September, but this year, the area only received 17.1 inches during that timeframe: “To put the drought further into perspective, the region is experiencing a 31.2-inch rainfall deficit since January 2022,” the release stated. “To close this rainfall gap and allow for local aquifers to recover, we need sustained, widespread rainfall over aquifer recharge zones west of IH-35 and throughout the Hill Country.”
In the meantime, the district urges all residents to actively conserve water resources. Residents are strongly encouraged to limit water use to essential indoor needs only and avoid outdoor watering as much as possible.
“Every gallon saved helps preserve our shared water supply, as well as the iconic springs, creeks and rivers of the area,” said Shay Hlavaty, communications & outreach manager for BSEACD. “We all have a role to play in protecting this precious resource as we face one of the region’s most intense droughts in recorded history.”
