By Anita Miller
San Marcos — After months of being on the list, Hays County is no longer experiencing “exceptional” drought — which is the highest recognized category.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report issued on Thursday, the northwest portions of the county have greened to the point of being classified as “moderate drought,” while San Marcos and most of the rest of the county is considered to be at the next highest category, “severe.”
The rains that began in late August have, as of Thursday, delivered 10.89 inches in San Marcos. That, along with a rise in flow from San Marcos and Comal Springs and an improved aquifer level at the J-17 Index Well at Fort Sam Houston, has prompted the Edwards Aquifer Authority to lift stage one mandatory water restrictions.
That action marked the first time since April that pumpers from the Edwards Aquifer have not been subject to mandatory cutbacks. San Marcos, in contrast, remains under stage 1 restrictions.
San Marcos Springs on Wednesday, were flowing at a rate of 149 cubic feet per second, after months of hovering between 90 and 100 cfs. Wednesday’s rate was 11 cfs below the historic average for October. The springs 10-day average, which the EAA uses in calculating the triggers for mandatory restrictions, was at 141.5.
At the J-17 Well, the Edwards Aquifer measured 662.8 feet above mean sea level on Thursday and had a 10-day average of 664.6, which is 1.8 feet msl below the average for October.
According to the most recent Drought Monitor, 1.5 percent of the state remains in “exceptional” drought, while in 6.2 percent the drought is considered “extreme,” in 13.3 percent, “severe,” in 20.8 percent “moderate.” Some 31.1 percent of the state is considered “abnormally” dry, while 68.9 percent is not experiencing drought.
Just three months ago, 16.5 percent of Texas was “exceptional,” 24.7 percent “extreme,” 29.6 percent “severe,” 38.7 percent “moderate,” 67.7 percent “abnormally dry,” and 32.3 percent drought-free.
