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Scholarship Programs

Many thanks to Creedmoor Water Supply, Texas Lehigh Cement Company, St. Andrews Episcopal School, and Goforth Special Utility District for donating a portion of their Conservation Credits to support these scholarship programs. We are able to have a wonderful awards program this year!! Here are the details for both programs…. please pass along to any students that may be interested! This year’s Camp Scholarships will include an estimated:
• FOUR $600 scholarships to the week-long Aquatic Science Adventure Camp (Note: Parent will be responsible for providing $150 camp deposit fee, which will be needed to hold the child’s spot.)
• FIVE $150 scholarships to the 2-Day Aquatic Science Adventure Camp (Note: All $150 will be paid for by BSEACD.)

2014 Aquatic Science Adventure Camp Scholarships
Students ages 9 through 15 years old
Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Scholarship amounts: $600 or $150, depending on length of camp

The District is now soliciting applications and essays for its 2013 Camp Scholarship program for the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center’s Aquatic Science Adventure Camp through Tuesday, March 18, 2014. We estimate this year’s program will provide:
• Two $600 scholarships to the week-long Aquatic Science Adventure Camp (Note: Parent will be responsible for providing $150 camp deposit fee, which will be needed to hold the child’s spot.)
• Two $150 scholarships to the 2-Day Aquatic Science Adventure Camp (Note: All $150 will be paid for by BSEACD.)
The Camp scholarship contest is open to children ages 9 through 15 who reside in one of the six school districts within the District’s boundaries. Interested students must submit an application and a 1-page essay/artwork entitled “Why I want to attend the Aquatic Science Adventure Camp!” Scholarship winners will be chosen in a random drawing; only completed applications with essays/artwork will be eligible. Deadline for submissions: 5:00p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2014.

Both English and Spanish application packets available here: www.bseacd.org/education/scholarships/#Camp

2014 Kent S. Butler Memorial Groundwater Stewardship Scholarship Essay Contest
High school juniors and seniors
Application deadline: March 18, 2014
Scholarship amount: $2,500

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) is now soliciting applications and essays for the 2014 Kent S. Butler Memorial Groundwater Stewardship Scholarship Essay Contest through Tuesday, March 18, 2014. The essay contest is open to high school juniors, seniors, and immediate graduates. Students must reside in one of the six school districts overlapping the District boundary. These six independent school districts are: Austin, Eanes, Dripping Springs, Hays Consolidated, Del Valle, and Lockhart.

One essay will be selected as the winning entry by an independent evaluation panel, and the author will receive a $2,500 scholarship to the college, community college, or training institution of his/her choice.

Essays must generally discuss groundwater issues, which may include but are not limited to:
• non-point source pollution
• pollution prevention
• water conservation
• hydrogeology

While essays must focus on groundwater issues, applicants do not have to be planning a career path in a water-related field. Deadline for submissions: 5:00p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2014.

2014 Groundwater Essay Contest application form and rules available here: www.bseacd.org/education/scholarships/#College

Registration is now open for this summer’s Groundwater to the Gulf: Summer Institute for Educators! The Aquifer District, in collaboration with 12 other agencies, helps host this annual 4 day, field-trip-based, hands-on training. Dip your hands into local water topics and try activities that help bring those topics back to your classroom.

Visit the Groundwater to the Gulf Registration page for more details including photos from years past, registration link, and sponsor info. Registration has been updated, and the flyer etc will be updated soon.

Hope you can join us!

Aquifer District Out of Groundwater Drought

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District’s General Manager has declared a No-Drought condition for the aquifers within the District, effective immediately. The declaration comes after a wet September that saturated soils, then record-setting rainfall in October that caused runoff to area creeks which swelled beyond their banks allowing substantial recharge to the aquifer. One of the area’s two groundwater drought indicators, the water level in the Lovelady Monitor Well, has been rising steadily since the storms in mid- and late-October. On Sunday, November 17, the water level in the Lovelady Well crossed above the District’s drought threshold, a rise of over 19 feet in about a month. The other drought indicator, sustained flow rate at Barton Springs, moved above its threshold after the precipitation events in mid-October and has remained there. Both indicators need to be above their designated thresholds – and currently are – to emerge from drought.

The District declared a groundwater drought and has been enforcing mandatory water-use restrictions since November 15, 2012, just over a year ago. While the aquifer has received substantial recharge and has passed into No-Drought status, it is still below average water storage capacity. “The water level at the Lovelady well is still 22 feet below average, but the rapid recharge caused by the recent storms has greatly improved groundwater conditions around the District,” said Robin Gary, Public Information Coordinator. Groundwater users are encouraged to maintain conservation practices, but mandatory water use restrictions are lifted.

Brian Smith, Aquifer Science Team Leader, stated that, “These exceptional rain events in October fell over parts of the Edwards Aquifer recharge and contributing zone, but the western parts of the contributing zone received only moderate amounts of rain, so we are not likely to see flow continuing in the creeks for an extended period of time. Without significant rain this fall and winter the aquifer could return to drought status by late winter or spring.”

The District’s General Manager, John Dupnik, offered this reminder stating that, “Despite the exceedingly wet conditions this fall, it is important that groundwater users not forget about the preceding summer months during which severe to extreme meteorological drought gripped the area, and as a consequence, caused water levels in the aquifer to plummet to close to Stage IV Exceptional Drought conditions.” Even in No-Drought status, end users are encouraged to continue to conserve. Conserving water can prolong the time spent out of groundwater drought and protect water levels and springflow at Barton Springs.

Useful links:
• Aquifer Data (links to real-time drought trigger measurements): www.bseacd.org/aquifer-science/aquifer-data/
• Aquifer Status: www.bseacd.org/aquifer-science/drought-status/
• Drought Monitor Blog: droughtmonitor.blogspot.com/
• Aquifer Bulletin newsletter (with full aquifer rain response article): www.bseacd.org/publications/newsletters/
• Press Release Archives: www.bseacd.org/publications/press-releases/