Published: April 10, 2008 11:35 am      

EAA extends emergency rule period

San Marcos — San Marcos Springs will continue to serve as a "trigger" for stricter water conservation measures under rules approved by the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) this week.

The authority also extended the period the emergency critical period management rules, which were set to expire Wednesday, for an additional 60 days.

"The extension of these emergency rules maintains drought protections for the aquifer while enabling the authority to continue its regular rulemaking process to adopt critical period rules as mandated by the legislative amendments made to the EAA Act last year," said Roland Ruiz, EAA spokesman. "These rules significantly change the 'triggers' used to determine when mandatory water reductions are activated and how much Edwards Aquifer groundwater permit holders must scale back their use during drought."

The emergency rules concerning the San Antonio Pool of the Edwards, which includes all of Bexar and Medina counties and parts of Hays, Guadalupe, Atascosa, Comal and Caldwell counties, mandate triggers according to 10-day averages of springflow at San Marcos and Comal springs and the J-17 Index Well at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

Specifically, Stage I of the critical period would be triggered when the 10-day average at the J-17 well drops to 660 feet above mean sea level; when springflow at San Marcos averages 96 cfs (cubic feet per second) over a 10 day period; or when Comal Springs flow drops to a 225 cfs average over 10 days.

During Stage I periods, holders of pumping permits in the San Antonio pool must reduce their pumping by 20 percent.

Thursday, the J-17 Index Well measured 682.2 feet above mean sea level, which represents a level 14.5 feet above the historic average for the month.

San Marcos Springs, meanwhile, was flowing at a rate of 169 cfs on Thursday, which is seven cfs below the month's historic average.