Not necessarily by popular demand, but the drought is back at the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. The aquifer board voted Thursday night to call a Stage II drought alert for the aquifer, which after heavy winter and spring rains had been at normal (Stage I) until late June. The aquifer’s two drought triggers — the Lovelady well in Hays County and the flow meter at Barton Springs — have fallen below the normal levels in the past two weeks. Stage II means that commercial water customers must reduce the amount of water they pump by 20 percent until the restriction is lifted. The Barton Springs move comes on the heels of the Edwards Aquifer Authority in San Antonio declaring Stage IV conditions on the entire Edwards Aquifer, meaning its commercial customers must reduce their pumping by 40 percent until further notice.
Mark Richardson is a multimedia journalist, editor and writer who has worked in digital, print and broadcast media for three decades. He is a nationally recognized editor and reporter who has covered government,... More by Mark Richardson