Where will water come from?
Editor: Occasional rainfall is deceptive after a brutal three-year drought. So far, the winter “ El Nino” has failed to deliver heavy rains.
Without winter recovery, we face drought conditions already having severe deficits. Canyon Lake continues breaking record lows near 60% capacity. The Trinity is 22.39 feet below average, continuing Emergency Restrictions. Boerne City Lake is substantially below normal levels.
Considering a 6% Trinity recharge, two feet of sustained rainfall is needed. Patchy precipitation persists. Climate experts warn this region west of I-35 could permanently remain more arid.
Where are we headed? Data calculated for Boerne ISD projects a city population that could reach 50,000 residents. WCID 4 (approved last year) will create an expandable city water district to potentially serve thousands of homes outside city limits.
Outside Kendall County, 7,000 new homes are under construction along SH 46 to Hwy 281. All of these will rely on the same drought stressed water resources — Canyon Lake and Trinity.
If Canyon Lake reaches record lows, will we face mandatory GBRA cuts? What will Boerne City Lake status be (including increased risk of geosmin/algae blooms with decreased water levels)?
Trinity wells cannot compensate with restricted pumping. State plans for more water resources will be costly and take decades.
If buildout to the BISD projections occurs, are we prepared for the unthinkable? Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority cuts, severely depleted (or unusable) city reservoir and restricted Trinity supplies? All imposed at the same time?
This is the tough question residents should ask.
— Alexandria Rudd Boerne resident
Comment
Comments