Drought
Several periods in the past 100 years have had longer, much more severe droughts. So why is the current Hill Country water supply substantially depleted?
As a hydrologist, Raymond Slade has been analyzing droughts, floods, and water quality issues for almost 40 years. He says data show that the Hill Country is not in a drought of record. Precipitation levels over the past two years have been moderately dry. In the last one-hundred years, there have been three or four periods with equal or less precipitation. Slade says stream flows and spring flows are extremely low, but not near record lows.
Many more people have moved to the Hill Country since the last drought and have substantially increased demand on the water supply. Rapid growth is expected in the coming years for the Hill Country, and future droughts are likely. Slade says we must do a better job of planning and budgeting water supply, even on rainy days, if we want to be able to sustain a growing population and be prepared for future droughts.
A new non-profit has recently been formed. The Texas Drought Project will bring together experts in farming, ranching, hydrology, civil engineering, climatology, conservation and environmental science to present forums in key regions most affected by drought in Texas. Click here to learn more.
Click here for the latest BSEACD Aquifer Bulletin
Recent News
September 24, 2009
Intensity of drought surpasses previous droughts
Despite scattered rainfall, the Colorado River basin remains in a severe drought that is affecting water supply, LCRA staff told the Board of Directors this week. As a result, LCRA is considering whether to take additional drought management actions. Read full LCRA media release here.
September 4, 2009
Drought drying Barton Springs
The most severe drought in the nation is drying up one of Austin's most treasured natural resources, the spring-fed Barton Creek Pool where more than 400,000 visitors from around the world flock each year. Read full SA Express story here.
August 26, 2009
Drought Decisions Program Scheduled
Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service and the NRCS office have planned an educational program to be held on September 3 at the Pedernales Electric Coop Auditorium in Johnson City beginning at 6:00pm and concluding by 8:00pm. The program will address options available to cattlemen as they try and make sound management decisions as to what is best for them and the herd, as well as the rangeland. Read full Blanco County News article here.
August 24, 2009
As groundwater levels drop, people begin hauling in water
The drought has gotten so bad in the Hill Country that when the twin grandchildren of Bob Sharpe visit his place near Nutty Brown Road, they have to take an outdoor "cowboy shower" by having grandmother Sue Sharpe dump water on them from a bucket. For three months, his well has been dry, so several times a day, Bob Sharpe steers his blue Chevy pickup to the nearby Cedar Valley Grocery, which gets its water from a Colorado River pipeline, to fill his 200-gallon plastic tank, plus a dozen emptied Newman's Own grape juice jugs strewn across the truck bed. Read full Statesman.com commentary here.
August 23, 2009
Our Water Supply, Down the Drain
In the United States, we constantly fret about running out of oil. But we should be paying more attention to another limited natural resource: water. A water crisis is threatening many parts of the country -- not just the arid West. Read full article here.
Read more Drought related news
Helpful Links
U.S. Drought Monitor - Get current U.S. drought information
Statesman.com Drought Page - Check up on current drought conditions and read recent drought stories from Statesman.com
Helpful Documents
How severe is the current drought in the Texas Hill Country? - A summary of the current drought conditions in the Texas Hill Country
What is El Nino and will it end our drought? - The effects of the El Nino System on rain in Texas
