Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District enacted Stage 4 drought emergency measures for its Kendall County customers.
District General manager Micah Voulgaris Thursday spelled out the reasons for requesting the stage 4 water restriction at the water district’s July 18 meeting.
“We usually look at departures from the average: how far away are we from the average for that month,” Voulgaris said. “We’re 24 feet below the July average.”
He said they base their readings on the district’s 43 monitor wells, the flow of the Guadalupe River, surface water and groundwater. Fifteen of those monitor wells hit record lows this month.
“When the river’s not flowing at all, and the lack of rainfall. That’s what’s hurting us right now, our departure from average rainfall,” he said.
Cow Creek stage 4 restrictions include a 40% mandatory reduction for permitted users. No lawn or turf grass watering is allowed with groundwater at any time. Hand- held hoses or buckets are allowed any day before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m. for landscape other than lawns and turf grass.
Filling and refilling of pools other than portable wading pools, is prohibited. Use of groundwater to wash any vehicles or equipment is prohibited. Irrigation of hay crops is prohibited.
Cow Creek draws its allotment of water from the upper, middle and lower Trinity aquifer. About 90% of Cow Creek’s draw is off the middle aquifer. The current average water level in the Midddle Trnity Aquifer is 1,177.20, 24.03 feet below the annual July average.
But every factor used to determine water stage restriction shows little to no promise of a break in the drought. The average water level has declined 5.8 feet since June 30.
“We tried to hold out as long as we could,” he said, “and we’re not even to the hottest part of the summer yet.”
The historic median flow of the Guadalupe through Comfort is 84 cubic feet per second (cfs); currently, it's 0.0. Similarly, the historic median flow of the Guadalupe through Spring Branch is 122 cfs; currently also 0.0.
“If it's not above the median flow, we’re not getting recharge. And there is no flow,” he said.
Historic June average rainfall is 3.17 inches; last month, Cow Creek measured 1.85 inches. The area’s long-range forecast shows little to no rainfall opportunity, with temperatures expected to hover at or above 100 degrees.
Cow Creek’s last Stage 4 emergency drought declaration came in 2012.
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