The Edwards Aquifer Authority, or EAA, declared Stage 2 Critical Period Management for Edwards withdrawal permit holders in the San Antonio Pool of the EAA’s jurisdiction Aug. 6 due to declining water levels in the aquifer, according to an EAA news release.
This jurisdiction includes Medina, Bexar, and parts of Guadalupe, Comal, Hays, Atascosa and Caldwell counties, the release states.
How it happened
On April 6, the 10-day average at the J-17 index well was 649.8 feet above mean sea level, which falls within the Stage 2 threshold of the EAA Critical Period Management Plan. The J-17 index well is a monitoring well where the EAA measures groundwater levels in the San Antonio Pool of the Edwards Aquifer. The 10-day average at the Comal Springs is 219 cubic feet per second, or cfs, and the San Marcos Springs is 128 cfs, according to the release.
Although the J-17 index well is the only indicator that reached the Stage 2 threshold, according to the EAA Critical Period Management Plan, a more restrictive stage of Critical Period Management is triggered when any one of the indicators reaches a threshold for that stage, according to the release.
The San Antonio Pool has been under a state of Critical Period Management since March 2022 due to prolonged drought. Aquifer and springflow conditions improved following significant rainfall across the region in July, which allowed the EAA to move Critical Period Management reductions up to Stage 1. However, the decline in aquifer levels below the Stage 2 threshold indicates a return to hotter, drier weather, the release states.
What it means
Stage 2 Critical Period Management means that those with permits to pump large amounts of water from the Edwards Aquifer, like industrial and agricultural users, must reduce their annual authorized pumping by 30%. This applies to all Edwards permit holders authorized to pump more than 3 acre-feet annually. All affected permit holders must also report their pumping totals to the EAA monthly, according to the news release.
This will primarily affect larger entities, rather than everyday households. Residents and businesses within the aforementioned counties who receive water from a public water system should follow their respective water providers' directives for water conservation and use. The EAA also does not enforce lawn watering activities, nor does it regulate the general public, according to the release.
One more thing
Individuals can learn more about aquifer conditions on the EAA website.
