Local water districts urge conservation as drought continues From the cover
Diving in deeper
Two-minute impact
LCRA’s Stage 2 announcement. Homan said Lake Travis had dropped to 632.9 acre-feet as of Aug. 24, 31 acre-feet below the normal level. Despite this, he said WCID 17 customers will be protected “no matter what.” An acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land 1 foot deep. Shannon Hamilton, executive director of the Central Texas Water Coalition, said when Lake Travis gets down to 614 acre-feet, “we’re in real trouble.” “We are depleting rapidly. ... We should have been more protective sooner,” Hamilton said.
Stephanie Threinen, Lake- way MUD public information liaison, said although the water district did not initiate Stage 3 water restrictions until Aug. 15, the board approved moving to once-weekly irrigation restrictions Sept. 1, 2022. About 50% of LMUD accounts used fewer than 300 gallons per day in July and August, lower than the average of 424 gallons per day, Threinen said. WCID 17 Executive Director Jason Homan said the district began enforcing Stage 2 twice- weekly water restrictions for its customers in June, prior to the
and Stillhouse Hollow Lake, are similarly low. “Given how long our [rainfall] deficits go back and how significant they are, we’ll continue to see drought impacts through the end of this year, almost guaranteed,” National Weather Service meteorologist Keith White said. “The good news about the El Niño, though, is that it will tilt our odds toward wetter conditions by the time we get into the winter time. So we can hopefully start to make up some of those deficits in December, January and February of next winter.”
Central Texas was hit with a double threat this summer: record-breaking high heat and little rainfall. The region has seen temperatures over 100 degrees nearly every day since July 8, causing increased evaporation of local water reservoirs, dried-out soil and increased wildfire risk. Lakes Travis and Buchanan collectively dipped to 43% capacity Sept. 8, the lowest they’ve been since 2013, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. Other regional water sources, including the Edwards Aquifer, Lake Georgetown
Exceptional drought —or Level D4 drought—is the most intense drought category on the U.S. drought monitor
195
Lakeway MUD daily water usage Conservation efforts put in place by the Lakeway Municipal Utility District have reduced the overall daily water demand. 2023 2011 Peak day
and occurs when the region experiences 98% dryness.
183
Williamson County
35
Exceptional drought (D4)
Travis County
5.438M
6
100% of Hays, Travis and
130 TOLL
71
5
3.962M
Williamson counties are in exceptional drought 1.02M Travis County residents in drought areas 2nd driest summer on record in 113 years in Travis County
4
290
3
Hays County
2
35
N
1
SOURCE: U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR/COMMUNITY IMPACT *AS OF SEPT. 13
0
Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
SOURCE: LAKEWAY MUD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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