Ruby Ranch Water Supply Corporation

The District’s Board of Directors declared Stage II Alarm Drought at a meeting on April 24^th. This drought declaration is effective immediately and affects some 60,000 groundwater users in parts of Hays, Travis and Caldwell counties.

Lovelady monitor well, one of the District’s two drought-trigger sites, has fallen below its Stage II Alarm Drought water level of 478.4 feet above mean sea level. 10-day average discharge at Barton Springs, the District’s other drought trigger site, still remains above its Drought threshold of 38 cubic feet per second, but is expected to drop below sometime in May. Only one of the two drought stage triggers needs to be reached for a drought declaration to be made.

Declaration of Stage II Alarm Drought requires all of the District’s permittees to implement mandatory measures specified in their User Drought Contingency Plans to meet monthly pumpage reduction requirements.  All permittees must achieve at least a 20% reduction in monthly pumpage.  Permittees with certain conditional permits may have to reduce use even further.  End-user customers served by water utilities on groundwater wells are required to comply with their utility’s water use restrictions for this drought stage.  Generally, restricting outdoor water use, including limiting landscape irrigation, pool filling & refilling, and non-essential water use such as water fountains, is sufficient to reach monthly pumpage targets for Stage II Alarm Drought. Permittees are expected to be compliant with drought curtailments upon reporting their May meter-readings.

Since the start of 2014, the District rain gauge has collected less than 40% of historic average rainfall. These predominantly dry conditions have not generated significant recharge to the aquifer and as a result, groundwater levels have been progressively dropping. Demand reduction measures now will help slow water level declines and protect springflow and water availability for groundwater users going into what NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects to be a drier than average remainder of spring.

BSEACD is a groundwater conservation district charged by the Texas Legislature to preserve, conserve, and protect the aquifers and groundwater resources within its jurisdiction, which includes parts of three Central Texas counties.  It is governed by a Board of five elected directors and staffed with hydrogeologists, groundwater regulatory compliance specialists, environmental educators, geospatial systems specialists, and administrative support personnel.

 

The Ruby Ranch Water Supply Corporation Annual Meeting was held on April 10, 2014. You can view the minutes here.

The preliminary results of the Director Election vote are as follows:
Steve Selger 67 votes
Dale Olmstead 64 votes
Joe Collins 58 votes
Sonny Hollub Jr. 39 votes
Pat Dorsett 38 votes

Board President Gary Franklin submitted his letter of resignation from the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Board of Directors earlier this month.  Mr. Franklin has accepted a new position of employment and has opted to resign from the Board, effective immediately, to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest. Mr. Franklin has served on the Board as Precinct 2 Director since May 2006.  He brought water quality expertise, karst and caving experience, and a deep caring for the District environment and residents.  He will be missed.  At the April 10 Board meeting, the Board of Directors honored Mr. Franklin’s years of service and contributions to the effective management of the shared groundwater resources in the area.

The Board of Directors voted to seek candidates to serve as an interim Director for Precinct 2 for the unexpired term until the general election in November 2014.  Precinct 2 includes Shady Hollow, Leisurewoods, Manchaca, the Village of San Leanna, and portions of Buda.  Generally, Precinct 2 extends west to east from MoPac to I-35 and from south of Slaughter Lane to just north of Buda.  A map of Precinct 2 is available on the District’s website at www.bseacd.org/publications/maps.  To be considered, potential candidates must submit a letter of interest with a summary of qualifications to the District by May 9, 2014.  The letter shall be addressed to:

BSEACD
Attn: General Manager
1124 Regal Row
Austin, TX 78748

Prospective Directors must be willing and able to make the time commitment required to participate effectively in Board functions as a public servant and must have a voting residency within Precinct 2. If the Board chooses to fill the vacancy, the other four Board members will evaluate candidates for this position and appoint the one that best meets the needs of the precinct and the District to serve out the remaining term of the former Director.  District Directors, as public officials, are instrumental in setting and enforcing policy that effectively protects, conserves, and manages groundwater resources within the District and are paid an honorarium for their service, on the basis of the number of meetings of various types.

More information can be found at: www.bseacd.org/about-us/board/ or by contacting the General Manager by phone at 512-282-8441 or by email at bseacd@bseacd.org. Press Release can be found here at http://www.bseacd.org/publications/press-releases/