The Middle Trinity Aquifer has risen and fallen within the past 10 years but it is declining overall, the principal hydrogeologist for the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) told the Hays County Commissioners Court during their Oct. 22 meeting.
Brian Smith put up a slide showing the hydrology of the Middle Trinity between 2008 and 2018 as part of a presentation on a long-term study of the sustainability of the resource ahead of a vote by the court to dedicate $58,000 of the county’s money toward the effort.
The slide illustrated the usual upticks during “wet” periods like early 2018 and plunges during droughts like 2011. However, the water levels have decreased overall and Smith said that is a “pattern we are seeing throughout Hays County” even as the county’s population continues to surge.
