Thanks to a rainy spring, the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) today lifted Stage 3 drought conditions and returned groundwater permit holders in parts of Comal County to Stage 2.
EAA’s San Antonio pool also includes Medina, Bexar, and parts of Atascosa, Caldwell, Guadalupe, and Hays counties.
On Saturday, the 10-day average for the J-17 index well was 640.2 feet above mean sea level (ft amsl), and Comal Springs was at 159 cubic feet per second (cfs), resulting in both indicators exceeding the threshold for Stage 3.
The 10-day average at San Marcos Springs was 87 cfs.
The San Antonio Pool had been in Stage 3 since April 29.
Despite the good news, the aquifer is still stressed.
The flow rate at Comal Springs usually averages 300 cfs. The J-17 well in San Antonio is around 20 feet below average.
Stage 2 for the San Antonio Pool reduces the annual authorized withdrawal amounts available to affected Edwards groundwater permit holders by 30 percent.
They include industrial and agricultural users, as well as water utilities authorized to pump water from the Edwards Aquifer for delivery to their respective customers.
The Texas Water Company does not source water for its Canyon Lake customers from the Edwards Aquifer. The company pulls water from Canyon Reservoir and operates nearly 40 active wells in the Trinity Aquifer.
The EAA is a groundwater conservation district that manages, enhances and protects the Edwards Aquifer, a major groundwater system serving approximately two-and-one-half million South Central Texans.