Home - East Austin Succulents. DROUGHT MONITOR.
Austin Drought: Long Term Solutions. New Restrictions as Edwards Aquifer at Near-Historic Low. A view downstream from the headwaters of the San Marcos River. Water from the Edwards Aquifer flows from San Marcos Springs into the San Marcos River. With San Antonio’s major water source at near-historic lows and no rain in the forecast, the Edwards Aquifer Authority is announcing Stage III pumping restrictions Wednesday for the second time ever. Unless the weather changes, the city may have to soon follow suit and restrict its residents to watering their lawns once every two weeks, which it has never done. The Edwards Aquifer is at just under 637 feet above sea level as of Wednesday. (Normal conditions would put it at least a few feet above 640.) Over the last 10 days, that number has averaged about 639 feet. "There’s no rain forecast in the near future, which means the aquifer is going to continue to drop," said Terri Herbold, spokeswoman for the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
But not everyone is convinced San Antonio won’t soon have to follow in the EAA’s footsteps. Floods end agricultural drought in Austin, don't help Lake Travis. AUSTIN -- At Boggy Creek Farm in East Austin, the crops look great. From the healthy greens to the vibrant reds - the recent rains have had a hand in helping out these crops.
Co-owner Carol Ann Sayle says things have come a long way from the brutal summer of 2011. "Last year was better, and this year is better than last year. So we're hopeful now with the rainy winter and all of that - that should help us get in good shape for spring and summer," she said. The abundant rains have eased what we call the agricultural drought in the Austin area. According to the most recent drought monitor map from the National Drought Mitigation Center, Travis County is the only area that's largely out of the drought. Out west the Hill Country continues to suffer. However the real indicator of the drought is at Lake Travis.
Lake Travis rose a little more than a foot over the past week. "We are encouraging folks to not be fooled, to continue to conserve water - be mindful about their water use,” he said.
Austin Drought Effects. Austin Drought: Farmers vs Cities. June 2012: Underground water problems. Home > Salsa Verde > Archives > 2012 > June > 25 > Entry By Asher Price | Monday, June 25, 2012, 05:22 PM Even as Texas eases its way out of the throes of a historical drought — for now, at least — parts of the state continue to have water problems that recall the severe drought of the 1950s. The Edwards Aquifer Authority announced Monday that for the first time in its history it had declared stage iv mandatory pumping reductions for Edwards Aquifer users within the Uvalde Pool in Uvalde County. Permit holders in Uvalde County must reduce their pumping from the aquifer by 35 percent of their annual authorized amount.
The restrictions are based on water-level readings at an index well. The ten-day rolling average for the well had fallen below 842 feet above mean sea level. Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Water conservation Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept 2011 Reflections on Austin’s drought. The approach of autumn is a hopeful time for the central Texas gardener.
It means we’ve survived another long, hot summer and can enjoy being outdoors again. It means time for the rains to return to revitalize the summer-weary garden, replenish our aquifers and lakes, and offer the promise of wildflowers in the spring. But as the fiery summer of 2011 crackles to a close I’m not sure that we can count on those certitudes this fall. Another La Nina weather pattern means a forecast for a drier than normal fall and winter, followed by another hot, dry summer.
As I drive through Austin’s neighborhoods that back up to unwatered greenbelts, I see ghostly live oaks, half defoliated or entirely dead, dropping ancient limbs that had withstood previous centuries’ tests. Seemingly indestructible crepe myrtles are brown and withered. The sky has been unrelentingly rainless (today’s brief showers notwithstanding). In addition we’ve had record heat. Why now, one may ask?
Nov 2012 Redrawn boundaries turn veteran board member's precinct from blue to red. Jack Goodman One of the biggest political changes to come out of one of the smallest local races was the defeat of environmental stalwart Jack Goodman, who, for the first time in 22 years, will not serve on the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board of directors after this year. Redistricting of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District shifted Pct. 4 into more conservative territory, costing veteran board member Jack Goodman another term.
Last October, the district cemented redistricting plans, putting the wheels into motion for Goodman's demise. For years, Goodman has served one of the two Central Austin precincts represented by the board. These two precincts had previously split South Austin fairly evenly. But redistricting saw the traditionally liberal South Austin Precinct 4 absorb some very conservative territory.
It also pitted Goodman against fellow board member Bob Larsen, who ultimately won the seat with 47% of the vote to Goodman's 41%. Dec 2012 Central Texas continues in severe drought. TRAVIS COUNTY -- November went down as the driest in history since 1897 as Central Texas is considered two years into an historic drought. The Lower Colorado River Authority has once again asked the state for emergency drought relief, which if granted, would allow them to supply less water from its Highland Lakes to downstream farmers than required by the state.
It would be the second year in a row to get such relief. Low lake levels are blamed on the drought. Boater Jimmy Russell has been using Lake Travis since 1985. "Overall the last three or four years, it's really been down a lot," he said. He says the highs and lows affect business. "A lot of restaurants that do a lot of business during summer have closed. " Low levels also affect people at home and their residential restrictions. Austin Water Spokesperson Jason Hill says water usage is another factor but that people have been very mindful of conservation. Another issue is that December is typically one of the driest months. Sept 2012 Developers vs city of Austin Treatment Plant on recharge zone. Site of a proposed development that seeks to irrigate treated sewage in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, adjacent to city-owned lands acquired for water quality protection.
On Oct. 11, City Council is expected to consider a proposed settlement to a legal battle the city took up several years ago, to block a request to irrigate treated sewage in the recharge zone of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer. If council rejects the settlement, city attorneys will square off against the legal team of Jeremiah Venture LP, in a contested case hearing set for Nov. 14 at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The proposed wastewater system would serve a planned 600-acre subdivision in Hays County along FM 967. The city of Austin is the last man standing in what had been a multi-entity effort that included the Lower Colorado River Authority, Hays County, and the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. Is that really the best the city can do? Dec 2012 Williamson County Burn Ban. City adds washer rebate program The city of Round Rock launched a pilot rebate program for efficient washing machines on Dec. 7.
The program, which is available for Round Rock water customers, aims to promote efficient water use, according to a news release. City water customers who go to a Round Rock retailer and purchase a new clothes washer from a list of acceptable washers provided by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency can receive a $75 rebate, according to a city announcement. The city’s washer rebate program comes after the city reinstated its rebate program for efficient toilets in November. For more information on either rebate program or to get an application, go to roundrocktexas.gov or call 671-2872. — Haleigh Svoboda, American-Statesman staff Health Advisory Council seeks members The Round Rock school district is seeking parents, teachers and community members to serve on the district’s School Health Advisory Council. — Round Rock Leader Commissioners extend burn ban.
Near-Catastrophe During Flooding Highlights Issues at Dam in Austin. Austin Energy Crews work to dislodge a barge from Longhorn Dam, the dam that creates Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. A lot of people who walk or drive past Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin probably assume it’s a natural feature. They appreciate the trails and parks that line the lake’s 416 acres, unaware of the series of floodgates on the Longhorn Dam that hold its waters in. But recent flooding along the waterway has called attention to longstanding mechanical problems at the dam, problems that the City of Austin is aware of, but hasn’t found the money to address.
While its been called the “jewel in the crown” of Austin, Lady Bird Lake was created to serve a utilitarian purpose: to provide water for a now-decommissioned gas power plant in the Holly neighborhood of East Austin. Because of its connection to the power plant, the dam is operated under the supervision of Austin Energy, the city’s publicly-owned electric utility. One of the gates is completely broken. Mose Buchele. Judges: Save the water in Lake Travis. The trigger point for water to be released from the Highland Lakes, including Lake Travis, may be increased to 1.4 million acre feet after a court recomendation made Feb. 21. That amount is up from the Lower Colorado River Authority’s originally requested trigger point of 1.1 million acre feet in their emergency drought order. An emergency order, submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in December 2013, requested that the LCRA be able to cut off its interruptible water customers down basin due to evident drought conditions and lakes Travis and Buchanan levelling out at 38 percent capacity.
If the emergency order goes into effect, it will be the third year in a row in which the down-basin customers have been cut off from the Highland Lakes water supply. The TCEQ will consider the recommendation at a Feb. 26 hearing, which took place after press time. The TCEQ issued permission to enact the emergency order on Jan. 27. The judges agreed with the CTWC. LCRA: Energy - Water - Community Services.