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BSEACD Newsletter + January Drought Update

Antioch Cave: Protecting Aquifer Recharge in the District

People exploring the vault over Antioch Cave in February 2025.

Last week District staff led a tour of the innovative infrastructure over Antioch Cave – a major recharge site for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer.

Antioch Cave lies within the creekbed of Onion Creek and is located just over a mile from downtown Buda. Onion Creek is the main contributor of recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, and Antioch Cave is the largest recharge feature on the creek.

In 1997 the District installed a concrete structure over the entrance of the cave to prevent contaminants from entering the groundwater that thousands of people rely on. The project has prevented hundreds of tons of sediment and pollutants from entering aquifer.

Learn More

Message from the General Manager

Downtown Austin with a dusting of snow. Photo credit: City of Austin

The new year had a wintery start and as it has become all too familiar in the District and throughout south-central Texas, we continue to hope for much needed rain to arrive soon. Last year ended with below-average rainfall in Austin for the third consecutive year. During the past three calendar years, we’ve missed out on a cumulative total of 19-20 inches of rainfall. Aquifer water levels reflect that missing water and as I write, we’re getting uncomfortably close to Stage IV Exceptional Drought. Only once in the District’s history have we entered Stage IV drought and that occurred in January 2024.

Read the Full Message

Drought Update

Onion Creek by Old San Antonio Road in Buda this January.

January 2025 was a cold one with Camp Mabry recording an average temperature of 46.9°F — 5.3° below normal. Last month brought 1.6 inches of rainfall, which is about an inch below the January average.

Barton Springs flow and Lovelady monitor well levels are gradually declining. The most recent manual measurement at Barton Springs recorded 15.6 cubic feet per second (cfs). This is 1.6 cfs above its Stage IV threshold. Lovelady monitor well is 457.8 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl) — a fraction of a foot above its threshold.

View Full Drought Update

Now Accepting Applications for 2025 Kent Butler Scholarships!

The District is excited to announce we’re offering scholarships so five lucky students can attend the five-day overnight Aquatic Science Adventure Camp at Texas State University. If you know a kid who is:

  • 9-14 years old
  • Attends a school district that overlaps with our territory
  • Enthusiastic about science
  • Enjoys outdoor activities

Please share this scholarship with them! The application deadline is Friday, February 28, 2025.

Review Application

Texas Science Festival: Guardians of Our Water

Hear from Dr. David Hillis, Director of Biodiversity Center at UT, and the District’s own Justin Camp and as they discuss the discovery of the Barton Springs salamander and ongoing efforts to protect local groundwater resources.

Monday, March 3 at 6pm

Virtual

More Info and Zoom Link

Next Board Meeting

The February board meeting will take place this week at our District office.

Thursday, February 13 at 5pm
1124 Regal Row, Austin, Texas

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BSEACD Newsletter Drought Update: December 2024

 

After a blazing hot summer, it made sense that 2023 ended up being the hottest year on record for the area. It may come as a surprise, though, that 2024 broke that record and is now the warmest year to date at Camp Mabry. 2024’s average temperature was 72.8° F – a half degree higher than 2023. Last year was also the 37th driest on record for Austin.

Dry Sculpture Falls in January 2025.

Rainfall

In terms of rainfall, December brought an average of 1.5 inches to the Hill Country— approximately 1.1 inches below the historical monthly average (Figure 1). The most recent month with above-average rainfall was July 2024. Last year the region received an average of 31.2 inches of rainfall, which is 5.1 inches below the typical annual average.
Figure 1. Monthly deviation from average and monthly total rainfall in the District’s territory.

Groundwater Levels and Spring Flow

 

Barton Springs

As of January 8, the 10-day average flow at Barton Springs is 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) (Figure 2). Recent maintenance and spillway operations have influenced pool levels, potentially affecting the accuracy of the USGS real-time gauge. To address this, manual measurements have been conducted, with the most recent reading on December 31 showing a flow of 16.3 cfs. This value is near the Stage IV Exceptional Drought threshold of 14 cfs. To closely monitor any progression into a deeper drought stage, staff will perform bi-weekly manual measurements. The next measurement is scheduled for mid-January.

Figure 2. Recorded flow at Barton Springs over the last five years.
Lovelady Monitor Well
On January 8, the 10-day average water level at the Lovelady monitor well was recorded at 458.3 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl). This is within the District’s Stage III Critical Drought threshold and approximately 1.2 feet above Stage IV (Figure 3). Without rain we could see water levels at Lovelady dip into the Stage IV drought stage as soon as February.
 

Figure 3. Lovelady monitor well water-level elevation.

Trinity Aquifer
The water level in the Borheim Middle Trinity monitor well, located between Buda and Driftwood, had been steadily declining since late May 2024. However, rains in November and December have slightly reversed this trend, raising the water level by approximately two feet. Levels could continue increasing with additional rainfall in January (figure 4).

Jacob’s Well Spring (JWS) showed little to no response to December rainfall, with flows never exceeding 0.2 cfs. In contrast, the Blanco River at Wimberley gauge has maintained steady flows ranging from 6 to 8 cfs since mid-November.

Figure 4. Borheim (Middle Trinity) monitor well water-level elevation.

Conservation: Protecting Your Well and Pipes from Freezing Temperatures

Though temperatures this fall and winter have been significantly above average, we’ve been hit by our first bout of cold weather. When freezing temperatures arrive, it’s important to act and protect your pipes and well. A busted pipe can waste tens of thousands of gallons in a single home and millions of gallons in the greater community.

Some simple steps well owners, homeowners, and renters can take to prevent such damage and water loss include:

  • Drain and detach garden hoses; then cover the faucet with an outdoor foam cover
  • Drain irrigation systems and shut off watering cycles
  • Maintain a dripping faucet to allow water to circulate freely and constantly, preventing it from freezing
  • Insulate outdoor pipes and wellheads
  • Locate your water shut off valve in case of an emergency
  • Check insulation around well houses and seal any obvious gaps

Click below for more information on winterizing your home!

Read Full Article

 

 

Holiday Office Closure

The District office will be closed on Monday, January 20 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, January 21.
We hope you have a restful holiday!

Upcoming Board Meeting

Our January board meeting will take place this week at our office. All are welcome!
Thursday, January 9, at 5pm
1124 Regal Row, Austin, Texas