Mandatory Water Restrictions Have Arrived -- Stage I

As copious rain fell yesterday, the Edwards Aquifer Authority officially declared drought status ("Critical Period Management" or "CPM") for the San Antonio region. The CPM restrictions will remain in effect for at least 30 days unless the Authority’s General Manager declares an end to CPM because the aquifer levels are above the designated trigger levels identified in the CPM rules. Practically speaking, this declaration requires groundwater permit holders to reduce consumption by 20 percent for at least the next 30 days.

Coincidentally, at almost exactly the time that the EAA drought declaration was made, I was personally witnessing the dam gates of Lake Dunlap being opened for the purpose of releasing rising waters, and allowing them to flow downstream on the Guadalupe River. But, as is too often the case in South Central Texas, the rains were too late.

The EAA's mandatory Stage I drought restriction apply to all Edwards Aquifer water users producing from the San Antonio Pool. This includes water utilities in all of Bexar (including SAWS and BexarMet) and Medina counties and parts of Atascosa, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe and Hays counties.

The Edwards Aquifer Authority instituted the water restriction in response to the prolonged drought that is affecting the region.

In accorance with a federal court ruling, Stage 1 drought restrictions are triggered when average spring flow at San Marcos Springs drops below 96 cubic feet per second over a 10-day average. On Sunday, April 26, the 10-day average at San Marcos Springs registered 94.3 cubic feet per second.