Cow Creek beginning Stage 4 drought thought process

Although Boerne, Kendall County and much of the Hill Country experienced some decent rainfall last week, resulting in just over an inch-and-a-half in town, more precipitation will be needed to turn the tides before the local groundwater district considers moving into Stage 4 drought restrictions.

07/19/2022 12:00 AM

With this year proving to be a record-setter in terms of heat and drought, the Cow Creek Ground water Conservation District reviewed the water levels across its more than 40 monitor wells during its July meeting and found record lows. Some of the wells had dropped as much as 40- to 60-feet over the past year since last June. On average, the wells were 24 feet below the water levels this time last year.

“It was more of a mood booster, you could say, it didn’t really do anything for the aquifer,” CCGCD General Manager Micah Voulgaris said of the recent rain.

He noted that everyone should continue to conserve as drought conditions haven’t improved.

In response to the consistently lessening water levels, At-large Director Ben Eldredge noted that La Niña weather conditions are projected to persist, questioning whether the district should continue to deplete supplies the county may need if rain remains absent. Eldredge raised the question of moving into Stage 4 drought conditions, which would halt the irrigation of lawns in the unincorporated areas of Kendall County.

Voulgaris said he views Stage 4 as a drought emergency. But he said while the county is in a very bad drought currently, he said it’s worth reserving the highest drought stage for dire times. The directors voted to increase to Stage 3 drought restrictions last month, and if things don’t start looking up, they may be looking to increase to Stage 4 at their August meeting.

Conservation appears to be a key factor in avoiding the increased drought stage restrictions.

“We’re at that point where we’re on the border of an emergency drought situation,” CCGCD Precinct 4 Director Curt Campbell said. “We need people to observe Stage 3 in order to try and avoid going to Stage 4.”

Officially, Boerne received 1.62 inches of rain last week – the only precipitation recorded so far this month. In June, the city got 1.49 inches. For the year, the total is only 7.85 inches.

The normal amount of precipitation through July is 21.7 inches, according to information from the National Weather Service.

“We’re at that point where we’re on the border of an emergency drought situation. We need people to observe Stage 3 in order to try and avoid going to Stage 4.”